Originally called “The Carol of the Drum�, “The Little Drummer Boy� tells the story of a young boy who was invited by the Magi to the Nativity of Jesus. They had beautiful gifts to present to the new King, but the boy had nothing to give the baby Jesus, except to play a song for Him on his drum. The boy, desiring to honor the King, plays his best and, in return, the newborn Savior smiles at him.

The tender tune and “pa-rum pa-pum, pumâ€� that has become so dear to this season gives us a very great lesson in the form of the Greatest Commandment: And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.² That little drummer gave the Lord everything he had to give, and he gave it with his whole heart. Jesus, seeing the humility behind the gift, smiled.

Jesus saw past the rich and the poor and looked right into their hearts. He accepted the elegant gifts and the humble song because they were both offered with a pure heart. You see God isn’t interested in our presents, what he desires most is our presence. The Bible urges us to do everything “for the glory of Godâ€�³, whether it be playing a drum, or serving the poor, or sharing the Christmas message; the gift we bring to Jesus, that makes Him smile, wholly depends on the condition of our heart.

Recently, a woman walked into a charitable organization and handed over a suitcase filled with brand-new items meant to bless a homeless person. Before leaving, she asked for a tax receipt because she needed to make sure to claim her “donation� on her tax return. The clerk stopped and said, “Then it isn’t really a donation, is it?� Similar to the person who posts their “charitable work� selfies on social media, many people aren’t really doing it for the glory of God but rather their own glory. I wonder if God is smiling.

As this Christmas season draws to an end and we head into a new year, may our giving be purposefulâ€"whether it be our time, money, or talentâ€"let it be solely to make Jesus smile.

Suggested Prayer: Dear Heavenly Lord, I don’t have much to give; I don’t have extraordinary talents, but I do desire to make you smile. Today I bring before you my heart in worship and ask that you fill it with a selfless love to serve others without asking for any praise or merit in return. I love you, Lord. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

1.    Numbers 6:25-26.

2.    Matthew 22:37-38 (ESV).

3.    1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV).

Today’s Encounter was written by: Veronica B.