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.”
-
Matthew 2:1-2
The Magi can teach us a lot about a heart that yearns for God.
First, they
searched
for God. The Magi put aside distractions and busyness to seek after God. It’s amazing how much we can miss when we’re distracted. The Magi sought after God even though they didn’t have all the information, all the answers, or any guarantee that they would find the “one who has been born king of the Jews.” But they still sought after God. The Bible promises, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
Second, they
sacrificed
for God. They gave up the comforts of home and left to go on a very long journey. This is often where we stop short. Sure, we want to find and meet with God, but we also don’t want to be too uncomfortable or inconvenienced. We’ll follow God as long it’s close to where we were going anyway. The Magi sacrificed time, money, comfort, and their reputations to seek after God. And guess what? They found Him!
Third, they came to
worship
God. Worship is the surrender of our lives to God. It’s honoring God for
Who
He is and
what
He has done. We all worship something. We will all give our lives away to something, and we’ll all live our lives for something. That “something” could be career, pleasure, popularity, or a host of other things. Or, instead, we can live our lives for God and for His purposes. That’s worship!
This Christmas season, let me ask you three questions (taken right from the Magi):
1. Where are you seeking after God?
2. What are you sacrificing for God?
3. How do you worship God?
Learning to seek God with you,
Pastor Kenneth
