27 Dec, 2011
Wise People Still Seek Him
How can you apply the story of the Christmas wise men to your life?
Image courtesy of images.google.com.
Matthew 2:1-23 (ESV)
1Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him." 3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:
6 "'And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.'"
7Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him." 9After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11And 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. 12And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son."
16Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
18 "A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more."
19But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20saying, "Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead." 21And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: "He shall be called a Nazarene."
After reading today's God's Story scripture, think about how would you apply these truths and answer these questions:
The wise men were focused on seeking the Savior.
WHAT DIFFERENCE WOULD IT MAKE IN YOUR OWN LIFE IF YOU DID WHATEVER IT TAKES TO EXPERIENCE INTIMACY WITH JESUS CHRIST?
The wise men were focused on worshipping Christ.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORSHIPPING CHRIST FOR WHO HE IS RATHER THAN WHAT HE CAN DO FOR US? WHICH DO YOU USUALLY DO?
The wise men were focused on following Christ.
HOW WOULD IT AFFECT THE DIRECTION OF YOUR LIFE IF YOU LOOKED TO JESUS CONSISTENTLY?
The wise men were focused on trusting God, even when circumstances were very difficult.
WHEN YOUR WORLD SEEMS OUT OF CONTROL, ARE YOU ABLE TO LIVE UNDER GOD'S CONTROL? WHY OR WHY NOT?
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Thank God for the practical lessons in His Word from the story of the three kings. Confess any way in which you have not been living as a "wise" follower of Christ. Thank God for desiring intimacy with you. Ask His Spirit to teach you to truly worship Him for who He is. Ask Him to show you the direction you need in life, both for tomorrow and for the rest of your life. Offer yourself as a gift to Him this Christmas season and in the new year.
- Pray every day for the faith you need to recognize God's wisdom at work in your life and for the courage to live it.
- Whenever you realize that you have learned more of God's wisdom, write it down in your journal and thank Him for it.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Rent and watch the movie, 'THE NATIVITY STORY' with someone you are trying to reach for Christ. Use the three wise men part to talk about what you have learned in today's DAILYBIDE.
- When someone in your life comments on their need for wisdom, ask questions, listen, and offer to pray for them to experience wisdom from God.
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