After Jesus struggled with His face to the ground and finally relinquished his will to the Father, what happened? He got up off the ground in strength and faced the suffering, enduring it in continued strength. That is the same power that is available to us in the secret place when we first spend time in adoration and then in surrender with the “thy will be done prayer.”

One of the beloved Christmas stories is that of the Wise Men and their journey from the distant East to seek and worship the Messiah. What can we learn from these wise men? Did they just have a one-time encounter with God and then go home? I have my doubts. If this was truly a momentous occasion, a real encounter with the Messiah, I bet they went home and spread the good news… that a King who had all authority in heaven and on earth, a King whose kingdom would never end, had finally come for the world. They would likely spread the news- that Jesus was the answer to “The Great Question” of life, the universe, everything!”

As we await the celebration of the birth of our savior take a moment to examine not only how sweet this season is- but to look into the life of one of the Bible’s unsung heroes and what we can learn from him about how obedience is the highest expression of our LOVE for our Heavenly Father.