“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem,” (Matthew 2:1, ESV)
Come! We have an invitation to worship. Recently, during Christmas, we sang, “Angels From the Realms of Glory.” The chorus of the song is:
Come and worship,
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn king.
Again, there is the invitation to come. When the Wise Men worshipped the Baby Jesus, there was a journey. They traveled from Babylon to Jerusalem, to Bethlehem. The point is that they did not stay were they were. They went!
Worship involves movement. On Sunday mornings we will wake up. We will get out of bed. We will leave our homes and travel to a church building to gather with other believers. It was especially hard to do this last week on a very cold New Jersey Sunday. But we go to accept the invitation to worship and meet with our Savior.
But worship is more than about physical movement from one location to another. Worship is also a movement of our priorities. It is movement of our heart. We ask that God would move within us. And that he would move us into alignment with his will and that everything that gets between us and him would be moved aside.
The journey to Bethlehem was no small thing. It was an arduous journey that would have taken weeks. The Wise Men would have had to make adjustments to their schedule and their commitments to make this journey happen.
Worship is not always convenient. We live busy lives. And to make it happen, it often involves adjusting our calendars and commitments. Imagine that you have the opportunity to meet a person you greatly admire. Maybe it is an athlete or rock star. Maybe it is a author or actor. One day you are invited to have lunch with that person. What do you do? You clear your calendar! Everything gets moved around that special lunch.
We make the time and find a way for the things that matter most. You can tell a lot about what matters most in your life by looking at the things that get moved aside. Then compare those things to the things you will go to great lengths to make happen.
For the Wise Men, the journey was worth it. They encounter Jesus and found themselves playing a role in the most enduring story of all time. The invitation is standing for you. Will you come and let God move in your life?
Reflection
- How do you make worship a priority in your life?
- Where do you go to great lengths in your life?
Prayer
Holy God, you are worthy of all praise and glory. I come to worship you. Move my mind and my heart to your will. Give me the desire to set aside all other priorities for you, my most important priority. May I live for you, serve your, and give everything for you. Amen!
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