Come and Worship

"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 in the east and have come to worship him.'" 
Matthew 2:1&2

I love the Christmas season, and I love the story of the birth of Jesus. I have my own pictures of the story that play in my mind. One of my favorite parts is the visit of the Magi. The star they followed has become one of the emblems of the season. Some place a lighted star on top of the Christmas tree, others adorn their houses with the star. It is a wonderful reminder of the story of Jesus' birth.
    The star, of course, is a symbol of the guiding light of God. It reminds us of the Psalm that tells us that God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths. I realize that sometimes it is difficult to see the guiding light of God. It seems many times that we are stumbling along in our lifelong walk with him. But just as the Magi had faith to believe that the star was leading them, we must have faith to know that God is leading us all the time, even when we don't see it clearly. Undoubtedly the Magi had to travel some unknown territory along their journey. I'm sure that some of the terrain was rugged and mountainous. They had to travel a great distance to see the Christ child. But they never lost sight of the star, their hearts were fixed on the goal. They were going to see Jesus. Let's never lose sight of Jesus. Let's follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit as he leads us to Christ.
    There is an important lesson for us as we consider the visit of the Magi. They said, "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." These three men were not Jews. They had not been taught the traditions and stories of the Israelite nation. Undoubtedly they knew about the prophecies of the coming of the Christ, for they were learned men. But what impresses me about these wise men is this: They came to worship Jesus. At this point Jesus was a child of two years or younger. He had not preached a word, told one parable, healed one sick person, cast out one demon, or performed one miracle. He had done nothing for the Magi, yet they came to worship him. They came, simply because he was God.
    We are all called to be worshipers of God just as the Magi were. It is good to thank God for the things he has done. It is good to worship him for his miracles and saving grace. But we need to learn to worship God simply because he is God, not always for the things he has done. God is jealous for one thing, worship. He wants us to praise him, worship him, and love him purely because he is our God. For us, there is an amazing freedom that accompanies worship. It frees us from the need to always ask for something. Sometimes our time with him should just be for the purpose of adoration. The Bible reminds us that God is worthy of our praise. Even if he never did one thing for us, he would still be worthy. It is vitally important that we are not only followers of Christ, but worshipers of God.
    This Christmas season, choose to worship God in the spirit of the Magi. Recognize God's incredible leading in your life and thank him for it. But don't forget to worship him simply because he is God and he is worthy!