Tuesday January 24, 2023

Today is Tuesday, January 24 and we are exploring what it means to yield our lives to Christ.

Jesus, I am yours. In the stillness of the morning, I seek the grace of your divine presence. Come and envelop me with the embrace of your steadfast love. With each breath, I inhale your goodness and steady my mind from worldly distractions.

Pause and Pray

Holy Lord God, hear my prayer. Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing. I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, you are mine, and I am yours. So be it. Amen. (The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer, part 2)

I praise God and rejoice with the words of Psalm 138.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. Psalm 138:1-2

Pause and Pray

The three magi, or wise men, came from the East, from the Persian Empire. They planned for many years for this journey. They were astronomers and followed a star of prophecy, and they journeyed to find a king. They put following him first, before anything else, finding this king was most important. If we can keep that perspective all year, putting Jesus first, everything else will follow. When the star stopped and they found Jesus, they were overwhelmed with joy. That is the reaction when I find Jesus – overwhelming joy!

After they had heard the king (Herod), they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:9-11

God gave me the greatest gift of all by freely giving his only Son Jesus Christ. What wondrous love this is. In return for that great and generous love, I give back to God. I give gifts to Jesus. There are stars shining in this world of darkness, stars in the mundaneness of life that twinkle and point the beautiful way to Christ. Am I paying attention to the wondrous stars in my midst or am I scurrying past them on my way to whatever is next? When I discover the Christ Child in the simple courses of my daily life, do I take the time to bow down in awe and worship him?

Ask: Where have I seen Jesus lately? How can I stop and pause to worship Christ in the middle of my busy day?

Pause and Pray

Blessed Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me. Like the wisemen did long ago, I seek you. I long to discover the place where you already reside. Help me notice the stars shining in the darkness of the surrounding world and follow them to you. I want to find you and join you there. In awe, I bow down and worship you. I open the travel satchel of my heart to discover the treasures I have to offer you. I read the words from Matthew again and listen for the message you have for me.

After they had heard the king (Herod), they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:9-11

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

Whichever word or phrase stands out to me today, I reflect on how God might be using it to guide my spiritual journey. How might I find the altars in my world, the places where Christ is at work and join him there? How might I notice the stars in my midst that point to Jesus? What are my gold, frankincense and myrrh? What gifts do I have to offer Christ and am I willingly doing so? I ruminate on this familiar passage hoping God speaks to me in a fresh way and guides my spiritual journey.

Pause and Pray

Holy and blessed Lord, come and help me see what treasures I carry that can be emptied in love for you. I yield my plans and promises to the journey you invite me to travel. I give myself to you completely and kneel beside the manger in awe of the miraculous truth of the incarnation. Amen.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

I leave this time of prayer to seek Jesus and share his light and joy with a dark world.

Amen