Let’s Bow and Worship

By Carin LeRoy –

During the Christmas season I do the traditional decorating, trimming the tree, baking all sorts of goodies, shop for gifts and spend too much. I also display a manger scene. When my husband and I were first married his aunt gave us a tiny manger with Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. Years later, I purchased a larger ceramic set which included three wise men, shepherd, barn animals and camels. I place that set out in a prominent place for others to see. I love to be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas and want my family to remember, too. It’s easy to get distracted by the stress and commercialism of the month and lose sight of what we’re celebrating.

Since most mangers include wise men worshipping Jesus, we assume that they arrived at the time of Jesus’ birth. However there is evidence in scripture that they did not arrive until much later when Jesus was an older infant or toddler. Matthew 2:11 refers to them coming to a house and seeing a child. They traveled from a foreign country to find him—possibly hundreds of miles—so the journey was hard.

When I consider the long and difficult trip the wise men took to see Jesus and their determination to find him, I believe it was at great personal cost and sacrifice. Months of wandering through desert, storms, crossing rivers and unfamiliar territory, they possibly had enemies and wild animals trying to attack them. I’m sure they were exhausted. Yet they carried on until they “saw the child with his mother Mary.”

What did they do once they found Him? They bowed down and worshipped Him. They gave him gifts of great cost—gold, frankincense and myrrh. When we truly seek Jesus, we will find Him. He is waiting for us to discover who He is so we can have an intimate loving relationship with Him. The Magi discovered that day the real person of Christ, the son of the living God. When they returned to their country, they left Him and went home another way—signifying a changed life. They were never the same. It was worth the long arduous journey.

Let’s press ahead in our walk with Jesus and seek to know Him better. Let’s let the Holy Spirit create a deeper longing in our life for Him. Are we willing to sacrifice as the Magi did so that we might catch a glimpse of just how wondrous Jesus really is? As we celebrate this season, let’s remember to take time to bow and worship Him for who He is—Savior and King.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for sending Your son, Jesus, to earth. Give me a heart that seeks You and desires to worship You. Thank You that You alone are Savior and King.

“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 worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh,” (Matthew 2: 10, 11 NIV).

Limited Planning

By Jarrod Spencer –

Planning in life can have its good qualities but also can have its bad. I have areas in which I am flexible, but there are also parts of life which I might be described as inflexible. I have a side of me that likes to have things go a certain way each day. But there is also a side of me that enjoys some unplanned things. Of course those are subjective, so I may prefer some and not prefer others.
Even though a side of me is resistant to being flexible, another side looks forward to the possibility of interruptions. I have had days where God threw me a curve ball and I had to switch gears very quickly. Those are the days when I look forward to what He might be sending me. There have been some very interesting curve balls thrown at me through the years.

What have you experienced in the “unplanned” department?

This topic reminds me of a quote by Joseph Campbell, “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”

Trying to hold on to the planned in life can be dangerous and wearisome. It binds us to where we are. If we have our minds ready for the unplanned, then we have a sense of freedom which we can go about life without being confided or holding on to the plans and seeing what God will bring our way.

As you go about today, tomorrow, or next week, you may have to plan out certain parts of your day but be ready for the interruptions and unplanned things that are going to come about. You never know what is waiting for you up ahead…God might have something super exciting for you!

PRAYER: Thank You, Father for teaching me that even when I have plans, Your plans are higher and greater. Help me to submit to what You bring into my life.

“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed” (Psalm 20:4 NIV).

Are You Like Herod?

By Cheri Cowell –

I hate to admit it, but sometimes I am like Herod. Yes, Herod.

I fall into the trap the devil sets before me by expecting the Savior to be a military-type ruler. Sometimes I fear that somehow He has a list of all my wrongdoings and is waiting for me to make a wrong move.

Now, before you get all worried about me, I know this is not true. I know that Jesus is a loving, compassionate, and just ruler. I know this, but sometimes those doubts creep in, mainly when I am feeling low, persecuted, and threatened or when my expectations are not met.

Herod felt the same way. He had expectations that the newborn King would usurp his power. Herod knew that he was not the rightful heir to the throne of David, and thus he was fearful of a military uprising. So he devised his own plan. He invited the Magi to his palace and asked that when they found this newborn King they would return to him with the news “so he might go and worship him also.” This was a lie. He planned to kill the child and thus get rid of his problem.

How familiar this reaction to an obstacle is for me, and maybe you too. We see that our wrongdoing might be revealed, someone might see the real us, or our mistake might be made public and we devise a plan. Our plans probably don’t involve murder, but they do involve a cover up or a “softening” of the truth. The real truth is that God is willing to forgive and forget the whole thing. He can even take the bad we have done and turn it into good. Herod completely misunderstood the reason for Christ coming. Christ didn’t want Herod’s throne, He wanted to be King of Herod’s heart.

PRAYER: God, I praise You for coming as a loving and compassionate Savior and not a military ruler. Help me to see Your love for me when my own plans have gone wrong. I’m sorry for wanting to take your throne and ask You to be the King of my heart today.

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, 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” (Matthew 2:1-3 NIV).

Getting’ Psyched about Service

By Hally Franz –

Operation Christmas Child is one of my faves. I began doing the boxes twelve years ago when my son was 3, and I was participating in a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. We have continued the tradition every year since, preparing a box for both my son and daughter to send to two other children somewhere around the world. We love it!

There are so many ways to serve during the Christmas season. Please indulge my humble attempt at some holiday verse…
Shovel snow for seniors when the precip piles up, Sing carols in hospitals, voices filling their cups. Ring Salvation Army bells for those needing a hand, There are many ways we can serve in this wonderful land.

Deliver baskets of food to families doing without, Visit brothers and sisters unable to get out. Collect mittens and scarves to protect from the cold, Show kindness to each other, the young and the old.

Share resources we have with families in pain, To give blessings to others is always our gain. Tell folks about Jesus, His birth and His gift, Mend fences, forgive, and seek to heal rifts.

Christmas is time to joyfully give, Show one another how Christ wants us to live. Be merry, be jolly, be full of good cheer, Tell His wondrous birth story to all who will hear.

People get passionate about so many things. In recent months, many have been “fired up” about the election. In my home near St. Louis, Missouri, lots of us were pretty excited about the Cardinals chance at “12 in 12” (the twelfth world series win in 2012), even those of us who really aren’t sports fans. Hobbies, exercise programs, entertainment – we get excited about all manner of things in our culture. Let’s get excited about service during this holiday season!

Chant it, cheer it and share The Good News!

PRAYER: Most Righteous God, help me to have a servant’s heart this Christmas season and beyond, to be energized and enthused by opportunities to show the love of Jesus to others.

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11 KJV).

Who Says it Doesn’t Rain?

By Michelle Lim –

Today I was grousing about a big disappointment that came my way. After all, shouldn’t I have a corner on the blessings market?

Not hardly. We are all on planet earth. Well, at least most of us.

Life comes with disappointment. There are wonderful blessings we can all be thankful for, but when things don’t go our way we act surprised and offended. At least I do sometimes.

What about those moments when we see others who have done wrong escape struggle, while we do not? It is especially irritating when it is someone who has treated us poorly. We do what Jonah did after preaching to the city of Nineveh. He walked to a hill overlooking the city waiting for God to destroy it. After all, they were enemies of Israel. This would be a great show.

But God didn’t see it that way. The people of Nineveh repented and God forgave them. For Jonah, on the other hand, God sent a worm to destroy the shade from the sun where he rested.

What did Jonah do? He complained. Sounds a bit too familiar to me.

This fall we have seen so many lose all of their earthly possessions, even their homes. Still, when was the last time you complained? I did just this morning about something considerably less significant.

Life isn’t always a stroll through the blessings market. In fact, sometimes it is downright devastating. We may never know on this earth why some of the struggles we face come our way, but none of us are exempt from hardship.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be the children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:43 – 45 NIV).

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