Moments With God

Wise Men Seek Jesus

General — Posted by sharaug @ December 23, 2005 12:02
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Matthew 2:1-12

"They bowed down and worshipped Him."

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Magi or wise men came from the east seeking the Christ child. When they arrived in Jerusalem they asked, "Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him." (Matthew 2:2) The Magi were not part of the religious order of God's people of that day by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, God's people at that time would have considered the Magi to be pagans. Notice, however, the Magi were coming from a long distance to worship and bow down before Jesus Christ, the Son of God! The Magi recognized Jesus Christ as worthy of their worship. Meanwhile, the religious people of that day were basically ignoring the birth of our Lord.

Where is Jesus Christ in our lives? Are we daily seeking a deeper relationship with Him? Do we have the zeal and the desire of the Magi to bow down and worship Him? "Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2a) What would be the answer to that question in our lives? Is Jesus both the Savior and Lord of all areas of our lives? Is He Lord and King over our careers, families and our daily pursuits and habits? Has He made a difference in our characters and attitudes? Is Jesus Christ and our desire to live for Him our consuming passion?

When the Magi came to Jerusalem asking about the Lord Jesus, King Herod and all the people of Jerusalem were upset and in an uproar. Herod and the people did not want their prized security disturbed. They prized the security of their daily routines and pleasures above the Lord Jesus. They were seeking and not finding peace in this world. Peace, however, is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ! We must be on guard against making the world's pleasures and securities more important to us than our relationship with the Lord. We must be daily seeking to grow in our love relationship with the Lord through the reading and obeying of His Holy Word. We must also daily seek the Lord in prayer.

The Magi came to worship the Lord Jesus. This caused them a great deal of effort, time, and sacrifice on their part. Apparently, however, the Magi felt it was essential to come and worship the Lord Jesus. We also must daily take the time to worship at the Lord's feet. We must daily take time to commune with Him and be occupied with the Lord. We may and must go to Him with our needs. We must also thank Him for our blessings. We, however, must also take time to be occupied with the worship of the Lord Jesus. Our entire lives must be a daily sacrifice of praise, thanks, and worship. Notice the Magi brought no gifts to the reigning King Herod. They brought their gifts to the Lord Jesus. More importantly, they brought their worship and their lives as a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. It must be our passion also that our lives will be a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." (Romans 12:1)

Matthew 2:11b


God's Word

General — Posted by sharaug @ December 21, 2005 17:15
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Psalm 119:1-16

"I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You." Psalm 119:11

Reading, studying, and meditating on God’s Holy Word is basic to our Christian walk. We would not think of neglecting food for our bodies, and yet it is sometimes so easy to neglect our Bible reading and prayer life. It is so necessary to read God’s Word, however, so that we are able to live our lives for the Lord as we ought.

Meditating on and obedience to God's word is also necessary for our emotional and spiritual well-being. "Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are they who keep His statues and seek Him with all their heart." (Psalm 119:1&2) Blessed means joyful. It is the happy condition of those who love the Lord and really want to serve Him. The world will not give lasting joy. Material possessions will not give us lasting joy. Only our love relationship with the Lord will give us lasting joy. As we grow in our love for the Lord, our joy also increases. This is a joy that one can have even in the midst of problems, disappointments, challenges, and sorrow. Only in fellowship with the Lord and in our love relationship with the Lord can we have that joy. We can not grow in our love relationship with the Lord, however, without studying and reading His Word. We need to hide God’s Word in our hearts. God's Holy Word keeps us from many unnecessary sins. God's Word keeps us on God’s path. The Lord’s path is not always the easiest, but it is always the best and the most joyful path for us. God is infinitely wiser than we are.

Furthermore, by hiding God’s Word in our hearts we begin to understand the vastness of His love for us. We begin to understand the number of promises that He has made to us. We begin to see that He is a faithful God, and we begin to see that His will and timing in our lives is always best. Psalm 119:14-16 says "I rejoice in following Your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word."

There are so many beautiful promises and truths in God’s Word that are so directly applicable to our lives! Some parts of Scripture are harder to understand than others, but the writer of this devotional has found some wonderful promises in places of the Bible where one would least expect them. There is always something new and fresh to be found in the Bible, as we read and seek to apply its truths to our lives each day. The Lord is so good!

The writer of this devotional has also found it helpful to pray Scripture in her prayers to the Lord. What better way to approach the Lord? Hiding God’s Word in our hearts adds joy and peace to our lives. God's Word also helps to direct our steps. We can absolutely count on the truth of every word in Scripture. Luke in Luke 1:4 said that he wrote the book of Luke and Acts "so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." Let us take our quiet time with the Lord seriously. Let us dig into God's Word and apply its truths to our lives. Let us grow in our love of the Lord through our study of His Holy Word!

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