12.19.17 // Expecting the Messiah: From Kings to the King of Kings

Matthew 2:11
“And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”

The wise men were expecting to encounter the Messiah. They came prepared to worship Him. They brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Costly gifts. Meaningful gifts. Heartfelt gifts. Personal gifts. Sacrificial gifts. After falling down to worship Christ, they offered their gifts to Him. The kings offering gifts to the King of Kings! I wonder how Mary and Joseph were feeling when the kings arrived. They may have been filled with awe when the wise men fell on the faces before the toddler Jesus. They may have been filled with amazement at the precious gifts. Surely, they were encouraged at yet another confirmation that this was indeed the Son of God, as God continued to reveal this truth to other people. What an amazing God we serve!

As I ponder the wise men’s precious gifts, I think about how our Father desires for us to give Him gifts, too. The Lord desires for us to worship Him with our whole lives – our heart, mind, soul, and strength. That is the greatest gift we could give Him. He commands it in Scripture because He knows that a) He deserves it, and b) we will greatly benefit from serving Him with our whole lives. Growing closer to the Lord is such a blessing, but many times, we just don’t pursue Him. When we neglect to do so, we miss out on so much. Giving the Lord our time, money, gifts, resources (which by the way, all belong to Him anyways) can be costly, sacrificial, personal, and difficult, but it is worth it! Whatever He has given us is a blessing that He has called for us to steward well for the purpose of bring Him glory, not just bringing ourselves comfort an pleasure… Ouch!

Luke 10:27
“And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Think about the wise men’s gifts. They literally travelled for 100s of miles in search of a baby! They carried their belongings and gifts and endured harsh travel conditions all because they were seeking to worship the King of Kings. They didn’t have a map. They didn’t have a GPS. They didn’t even know exactly where they were going. All they knew is that they believed that the prophecy was being fulfilled at that time, and they wanted to worship! This trip took lots of time, and after they saw Jesus, then they would have to make the long journey again. But, it was worth it!

Whatever sacrifice the Lord is calling you to make, whatever gift He is asking you to use for His glory, however He’s asking you to use your time, money, gifts, and resources, obey Him. Seek Him. Trust Him. It is worth it. Yes, it’s costly. Yes, it’s painful sometimes. Yes, He may be calling you to step out into uncharted waters, just like the wise men who travelled on in faith. But the Lord is faithful to give you the strength to do what He calls you to do. You just have to take the first steps in obedience! The pursuit of God is worth it! This Christmas season, pursue Him alone. Beg Him to move in your life, and offer your life to Him as a living sacrifice to use for His glory!

Romans 12:1-2
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Merry Christmas!


Always, Jacquelyn

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Becoming Part 2: Our Heavenly Father’s Role

Last time, I encouraged you to read Psalm 139 and contemplate God’s love for you, so let’s start there! Personally, Psalm 139 is one of the most encouraging and comforting Psalms.  It is filled with promises about how God intricately and personally knows every single detail of our existence because He made us and planned for our entry into the world. How humbling and mind-blowing is it to come to the realization that the God of the universe – who created every tree and mountain and planet and galaxy and person who ever lived and ever will live – knows us each by name, knows how many hairs are on our head, knows every time we sit and rise, knows all of our faults and still loves us, and knows the details of our every hidden thought. Our great and powerful God loves us enough to be that personal with us. This Psalm adequately portrays the significance of the role God plays in shaping who we become. As I mentioned last time, He set our lives in motion...
Read more

"The Farmer IN the DELL" and Marriage

  So, I ’m sure you ’re wondering how “The Farmer in the Dell ” could possibly relate to marriage? It relates to my marriage, and I ’m guessing if your marriage is anything like mine at times, this tune could relate to yours as well! The other day, Patrick and I were having a conversation about the familiar children ’s song, “The Farmer IN the DELL ” . I was convinced that it was entitled “The Farmer AND the DELL ” . He was convinced it ’s proper title was “The Farmer IN the DALE ” . We were both sure that we were right. Always. I wonder if ours is the only marriage where both of us are right all of the time, even when we are giving completely different arguments (notice the BIG hint of sarcasm in this statement). Of course, our disagreement over this particular children ’s rhyme was all in good fun, even though we were both sure that the other person was wrong. I didn ’t even know what a “dell” or a “dale” was – but I did know that I was right! As it turns o...
Read more

Becoming Part 4: The Role of Our Personal Choices…Get Out of Bed!

Psalm 40:8 – “I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart.” Oh, that every choice we made showed evidence of this verse within our hearts!   If you are anything like me, this verse may not be indicator of every personal choice we make from day to day.   Some days, my heart is completely (or almost completely) in tune with the Lord, and I really do delight to do His will. Those are the days that I am not angry when the alarm clock sounds because I desire to be in the Word in the early morning hours. Those are the days that my heart is inclined to pray for my husband if my feelings are hurt rather than “give him what he deserves” … .(as if that is my place or my judgment call anyways!) Then, there are other days where the last thing I want to do is His will. I want to do my “own thing”. I want to be lazy and sleep a few extra minutes instead of spend time in God’s Word. I want to say that cutting, critical remark to my husband instead of holding my t...
Read more