ADVENT DEVOTIONS FOR FAMILY AND PERSONAL WORSHIP

Thursday, December 11 Read Matthew 2:3-8

Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “God and search carefully for the child. When you find Him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship Him.”

Two biblical principles emerge from this passage:
1. You will never experience real worship based on someone else’s search.
2. You cannot fool God by going through the motions of worship with a wrong heart.
With Advent upon us, and Christmas just around the corner, do you sense a tendency to be like Herod in your worship patterns? Here’s a simple solution if the answer if “yes”, and some preventative maintenance if not. Be personal with God. Get to know Him, stay in constant contact with Him. Examine your motives for service and attendance at your church. Confess those that are wrong.

Quit playing spiritual games. Herod was probably smiling and backslapping with the Magi, but in his heart he was angry, bitter and fearful. In short, he was a hypocrite, someone acting a part or speaking the scripted lines of another.

Finally, set aside your dark agenda for that which leads to the light. Give up a bad habit, get rid of resentment, restore an unreconciled relationship.

As you pray today, ask God to put a new desire in the hearts of those in your church to really worship Him.