After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magia 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.” (Matt 2:1-2)
They came bearing gifts. Frankincense, myrrh and gold. They traveled following a star. What faith! I can't imagine going anywhere without a map or a GPS. Their journey was by caravan (and not the car). They would travel through enemy territories and the gifts they were bringing were considered expensive. Yet, they went!
We are the greatest gift we can bring to the Lord. Our humility, our joys, our sufferings, our praise and our worship - that's all he wants! US! Sometimes we are "too busy" to remember him; he never forgets us. Sometimes we forget to thank him; he continues to bestow blessings on us. Undeserving as we are, our gifts continue to multiply. Reaching down from heaven is the hand that formed us. It's being offered to us in a gesture of love and kindness unlike any other ever experienced. We are never alone. We are always under the care of the Master. Although our journey is not like that of the Magi, it is a journey that will bring us one day into the presence of the most worthy of all Kings ~ Jesus!
When the answer is "no", when the command is "move", when God has another plan for you other than the one you thought it was, accept it and bear it ~ it is in no way a sign of failure, nor is it a "cross" to bear. It is a gift from God who loves you and wants you to be "wholly" his! He will give you what you need - keep the focus on him! Continue to walk in his ways and know that he is pleased with you. Your sacrifice is never taken for granted in the eyes of the Lord, as long as it is given with honor, praise and humility. He'll tell you when it's time! Acceptance of God's plan for you can be a hard decision at times. With everything he takes from you, he also gives something in return. Letting go of the things that cannot be changed is the first step in total submission to the will of God. Let go! Walk! Rejoice!
