Since I started school, it has really been on my heart to read through the whole Bible. It’s something I have never done before, but seems like an essential for anyone who is going to claim the entire thing as what they base their whole life on, you know. Freshmen year I made it through the New Testament and I started going through the Old Testament as a counselor at Crescent Lake, but got lost somewhere in the Law as I returned to school. So, I decided last week to pick this feat up again, this time following a one-year plan which will hopefully offer a little more accountability. Every day, I will get to read some Old and New Testament and a little of both Psalms and Proverbs. I really like this format.

Tuesday morning, part of my reading was the first two chapters of Matthew. Obviously a part of the Bible I know pretty well, I don’t think I could count the number of times I have heard the Christmas story. As I was reading through the story of the Magi traveling to see Jesus, I was stopped in my tracks by a verse I think I have probably skipped over every time I read these chapters:

Matthew 2:10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.

When I read this verse, immediately I got this picture in my mind of these old guys with long beards and camels jumping around in the desert hugging each other and running around in circles, ecstatic. Now as I think back to it, I smile a little. I really do love this picture though. These guys had been studying and anticipating and waiting and probably praying for their King to appear, and now, when the prophecy begins to be fulfilled, they are rejoicing exceedingly with great joy. They didn’t doubt, they weren’t like, “Well, I dunno, maybe that’s the star, but probably not, let’s wait to hear it through the grapevine….” They were so convinced that God had finally “made good” on His promise that they immediately traveled hundreds of miles carrying burdensome and crazy expensive gifts for a baby they knew God was going to raise up.

As I sat back with my biscotti and coffee to reflect on this, I thought about how I respond to God’s moving in my life. Even thinking back to April and May when I was waiting for God to show me what He wanted for me this summer, when He finally did, I did not respond with rejoicing exceedingly with great joy. To be quite honest, I was probably a little mad at God for not following through with what I had planned for my summer. (Now I realize I was crazy for ever questioning God leading me to FoCo, however that is irrelevant to this rambling) But I had prayed for God to show me a clear path. To close doors and only open one, and when He did, it took me a while to praise Him, to even acknowledge that He had in fact answered my prayer exactly the way I asked. I had prayed that God would put me where He would use and teach me the most, I knew wherever God would lead, life would be good, but I chose to not focus on where God could be taking me, but on what I knew I would miss.

Do you think Jesus birth came at the perfect time for the wise men, did they miss anything in their lives because they had to leave to see a baby? Did any of them have weekends with the family or fishing buddies coming up? I’m guessing yeah. Their plans were probably messed up by the appearing of the star they had so eagerly awaited, but instead of focusing on those things they could be missing, they embraced this direction from God, gave everything they had and went.

How can I be that eager to serve God and offer my best when He throws me a curve ball and changes my plans?

Some of you may be thinking, well the wise men’s “curve ball” was good, they got to meet Jesus, what happens when the curveball is cancer or something that hurts to deal with or isn’t fun? Honestly, I’m kinda thinking that myself, but I’m also thinking should the circumstance God has me in or is leading me into change my reaction to His clear hand in my life? How often do I look at curve balls that most people would say are good, but hate them because of what they could mess up? What does it look like to respond to hard things I know are from Him with exceeding rejoicing? Is it possible not to fight God, even just a little, when life hurts, when I don’t want to go where He is taking me, when the curve ball not only gets thrown at me, but hits me in the face?

I don't have the answers to any of these questions tonight, but if God blesses me with the insight, I will be sure to let you know what He says.

Father,
Thank you so much for having a perfect plan for my life. So often I think I have it figured out and try to go on my own, without You. I pray that as I finish summer and return to school, that I would let You lead me. God, even when I am unsure or scared of where I am going, I pray that I would follow You. Please soften my heart so as I follow I would be rejoicing exceedingly with great joy, even when life hurts. I am Yours and I want to follow You with everything.