What in the Spice? - Day 23

A star rises over Bethlehem, scholars cross deserts, and three gifts speak louder than words. We trace the Magi’s path in Matthew 2:1–12 and discover how God leads people through the passions they already hold—then layers those passions with meaning, worship, and mission. I share a simple kitchen story about moving from salt-and-pepper meals to richly seasoned dishes, and how that shift mirrors what happens when Jesus seasons our ordinary work and creativity with purpose.

We look closely at the symbolism of the gifts. 

From there, the conversation turns practical. How does God meet you in your craft—art, teaching, leadership, caregiving, entrepreneurship—and guide you by a “star” you can recognize? What sits on your personal spice rack that He wants to use to point others to Jesus? 

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Podcast Music by: prazkhanal
Song: Whip

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Series Context
• 0:48 Day 23 And Scripture Reading
• 2:34 The Spice Metaphor Comes Alive
• 3:35 Gifts Of The Magi And Their Meaning
• 6:03 Applying The Lesson To Our Passions
• 7:29 Prayer And Closing Invitations

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Hello, hello. This is Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast. Welcome, welcome. This year I'm bringing my 25-day Christmas devotional to life in a new way. Beginning on day 11 through day 25, each devotional entry now has a matching mini podcast episode, a simple 8 to 10 minute reflection designed to help you slow down and truly sit with the story of Jesus' birth. Each episode clearly follows the same day as the written devotional, so day 11 in the book is day 11 on the podcast and so forth. My hope is that these daily audio reflections make the journey to Christmas feel even more personal, peaceful, and meaningful. Thank you for being here. Let's go. What in the spice? Episode 90, day 23. Key passage, Matthew 2, 1 through 12. And it says, After Jesus was born in Bethlehem and Judah, during the time of King Herod, the Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has been born, King of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When King Herod heard this, he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born, and Bethlehem and Judah, they replied, for this is what the prophet has written. But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people in Israel. Then Herod called the Mat the Magai secretly, and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too that I too may go worship him. After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. So again, what in the spice? I know the title sounds a little wild, but stay with me. For most of my life, I seasoned my food with just, you know, salt and pepper. With meat, you add some meat tenderizer in there, and then salt and pepper, you know, and that was it. It worked, it was familiar, and honestly, I didn't think much of it. But then I married my husband, who was born and raised in Trinidad, and everything changed. His relationship with food, seasoning, and spices opened my eyes to a whole new way of cooking. He doesn't just season meat, he layers it, he's intentional, he understands what each spice brings to the dish. Now our spice rack is overflowing. Smoked paprika is one of my favorites, and I can honestly say I never would have discovered it without him. He's always trying new recipes, experimenting with different spices, and somehow he just knows what belongs together. And the result, the food tastes completely different, richer, deeper, just more complete, you know. And here's the thing the meat, the food didn't change, the spices did. That's where today's scripture really clicked for me. In Matthew, we read about the wise men, also known as the Magi. These weren't kings, they were scholars, scientists, astrologers. They studied the stars. And God used the very thing that they were real already passionate about, the stars, to lead them straight to Jesus. God met them where they were. Just like my husband met me where I was in the kitchen. I thought my seasoning was good enough, but he introduced me to something deeper, something intentional. The Magi followed the star because that's what they knew. And when they arrived, they didn't bring random gifts. They brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh, each one labeled layered with meaning, purpose, and even prophecy. Gold represented kingship. Jesus wasn't just a baby, he was a king. And it's mentioned in 2 Kings that King Solomon built the temple of God out of basically pure gold. And then frankincense represented worship. Jesus wasn't just human, he was holy and worthy of worship. Frankincense was also used in Exodus, where the Israelites had to, you know, praise God, pray to the Lord, and they had frankincense. And the last spice that was mentioned in the scripture is myrrh, which represents sacrifice. It's a luxury type of spice. And Jesus wasn't just born, he was born to die for us. And after the burial of Christ, or you know, after he died on the cross, Nicodemus wrapped his body in linen, and myrrh was present. These weren't accidental accidental gifts or spices, um, they were intentional, just like seasoning. Each spice added depth to the story of who Jesus was and what he came to do. And here's what God showed me. When we l only live in what's familiar, we often miss the fullness of what God is doing. Salt and pepper weren't wrong, they were just incomplete. In the same way, God takes our passions, our experiences, and the things we already love, and he layers them with purpose when we surrender them to him. The Megai didn't stop being astrona astronomers, they just followed the star to Jesus. I didn't stop loving my home, decor, or creativity. God is simply teaching me how to let him season it for the good. Everything changes when God adds his touch. So today I ask you, what is your spice rack? What passions, talents, or interests has God already placed in your life that he wants to use to point you and others back to him? Because when God seasons your life, nothing is wasted. Everything adds depth, everything has purpose. And just like a well-seasoned meal, when God is involved, you can taste the difference. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for meeting us right where we are. Thank you for your passions, your gifts, and experiences you've placed in our life. Help us to surrender them to you, Lord, so we can use them for your glory. Teach us to trust you as we season our lives with purpose. We thank you for Jesus, our King and our Savior. We love you and we praise you, Lord, in Jesus' name. Amen. Love you all till next time. Thank you for listening. This episode is part of my Christmas devotional series inspired by my written devotional, 25 Days Till Christmas, a scriptured-filled journey preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I invite you to read along and reflect on his story in a deeper way. Details in the show notes for the written devotional. And it also says in Scripture, glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill towards men. Luke 2, 14. And don't miss the next reflection in this Christmas series by subscribing to the podcast to continue walking through God's Word this season. And a little bit about me. I'm Jesse Morgan, wife, mom, and devotional writer and podcaster who loves sharing biblical encouragement and the hope we find in Jesus. Till next time, Jesse Morgan signing off.