Exodus
Tiffany
All You Need Is Love

Maybe the Beatles were onto something (or on something?) when they wrote All You Need Is Love. But, the love they were referring to wasn't the agape--or unconditional love--our Savior drenches us in. As we conclude the final chapter in Exodus (hooray!) and forge our way towards the Christmas season, there's no more ideal time than this to pause and be steeped in His love. 


All You Need Is Love

Bethlehem

A Moment with the Messiah: Day 16

No matter how you choose to celebrate Christ this season, let the Messiah–not the mayhem–reign in your heart. May you be richly blessed in Him!

Read: Matthew 2:7—8

7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”

Reflect: Herod had a scheme to thwart the King of the Jews and thought he was being pretty sly by saying he wanted to go and worship Him. Psalm 94:11 says, “The Lord knows all human plans, He knows that they are futile.” Even when our heart plans good, we need to recognize that our “brilliant” ways are fruitless in God’s eyes. Instead, let’s commit our ways to the Lord and trust in Him (Psalm 37:5).

Respond: Wise King, no matter how smart I think I am, help me realize it is worthless unless it is from You. Your plan is best, and I don’t want to just ask you to bless the plan I have devised in my own heart. I realize my heart is deceitfully wicked (Jeremiah 17:9) and I desperately need your wisdom and direction.

Tot Time: Ask your children these questions: Do you think King Herod really wanted to worship Jesus? Why would he want to hurt Jesus? Talk about jealousy and how this can keep us from true happiness.

--T

A Moment with the Messiah: Day 14

No matter how you choose to celebrate Christ this season, let the Messiah–not the mayhem–reign in your heart. May you be richly blessed in Him!

Read: Matthew 2:1—2

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 

Reflect: We know little about these magi (wise men). While they came bearing three gifts, that doesn’t mean there were only three magi. We can gather from their title that these men were likely astrologers—or a group of scholars who studied the stars. But regardless of their origination, there’s one thing we can be certain of: they sought the King. Their desire was to follow the light God provided them and not miss out on worshipping at the feet of Jesus. 

Respond: Great King, help me not to miss out at worshipping at Your feet. Not only in this spirited season, but throughout each day. I want to intentionally follow Your Light and seek You with my whole heart. 

Tot Time: Discuss how there could’ve been more than three wise men (unlike what we see in modern nativity scenes). The wise men desired to worship (which means to “ascribe worth to something”) the King. Ask the tots, “What are ways we can worship God?”

--T