I’ve been thinking a lot about worship recently as I’ve been preparing for Christmas. The shepherds came to Bethlehem to see the Christ child and fell down and worshipped. The wise men traveled many miles and many days to find the new King and bow before Him in worship. What the Lord has been teaching me is that true worship always takes place when we take the time to come into His presence.

Imagine if the shepherds had just stayed in their fields and discussed all that they had just heard. They would probably have had some very sincere and meaningful conversations, but they wouldn’t have had worship.

Imagine if the wise men had stayed in their own countries and written scholarly reports on the star and its significance. They may have written some important documents, but they wouldn’t have worshipped.

A familiar Christmas carol (one of my Dad’s favorites) says, “Come, and worship.” What I’m wondering this Christmas season is how often we try to worship without taking the time to first make the journey  into His presence. For the shepherds and the wise men it was a physical journey; for us it’s a journey of the heart. For the shepherds and wise men it led to a baby; for us it leads to our victorious and risen Savior.

It wasn’t the angel choir or the star that brought the shepherds and wise men to their knees in worship – it was Jesus.  It won’t be the lights and trees, the carols and pageants that bring us to our knees in worship – it will be Jesus.

“Come and worship, come and worship, Worship Christ, the newborn King.”

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