Joy! to Your World! A Countdown to ChristmasSample

After the Magi arrived at the home of the Christ Child and had experienced the joy of pure worship, they gave valuable gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These were truly gifts fit for the family of a King! “And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country.” - (Matthew 2:12) When a man or a woman engages in wholehearted worship and gives something of value to the King of Kings, how easy it becomes to hear the voice of God! Prior to this incredible event, the Magi had to depend on earthly directions and man’s best judgement. Now, because they knew Jesus, because they had fallen on their faces in His presence and because they had given to Him that which was of value, the guidance of God was easy to discern. Worship, in a believer’s life, always turns up the volume of heaven! The Magi were accustomed to obtaining all of their knowledge from the patterns of the stars, from scrolls of the great minds of the day and from earthly governments. Now these men heard the voice of the God of the ages! These men are discovering the wisdom of obtaining their directions from God. Not only do they hear His voice ... they obey His voice! Quite a change for men who so esteemed academic prestige! God warned the wise men in a dream to return home by a different route from which they had come. Herod intended to kill the newborn King of the Jews and was waiting to discover His location from the Magi when they returned through Jerusalem. Worship not only enables a human being to hear the voice of God but often changes one’s direction as well. Worship will give you a new perspective on your destiny and will determine the road that you should take in order to arrive at God’s intended location for your life. Never underestimate the role of both worship and sincere giving in enabling you to reach your ultimate destiny in Christ. Just like the Magi, God may want you to hear His voice and thereby change your direction. Your part in life’s equation is to worship Him completely and give to Him sacrificially. Worship and giving from the heart have always been, and will always be, the most important parts of Christmas!