The Magi Traveled in Faith
God grew my faith every time we moved on military orders, also known as a PCS. Orders and timelines change frequently. Movers can be outstanding or terrible. Change causes us to grow in our faith. I met a wonderful spouse at our first duty station who told me the key to every military move.
“Only take what you are okay with losing and hold everything with open hands.”
She learned this firsthand as all their household goods were swept off the ship, moving them from Europe back to the United States. She had to remember the contents of every box and when they bought each item so they could file a claim with the shipping company. What amazed me most was that she was not bitter or angry. Instead, she allowed God to grow her faith in Him through this trial.
I took her advice to heart. Anything super special, like the clock my dad made me, did not move with us. My mother kept it until we stopped moving. “Hold everything with open hands” challenged me more, because it requires faith. We must believe God has a plan for everything that happens to our belongings and trust Him to get everything from one place to another or provide something better. Faith, to move my mountains of doubts in the military system.
God uses moving to grow my faith. When we leave one place for another, I have to trust He will bring us a new home and provide friends for me and my family. I even have to trust Him with our travel plans. They rarely look how I plan, but in hindsight, I can see God moving in every area to prepare the way for us and grow our faith.
The first candle represents the Prophets and is called the Hope candle. The second candle of the Advent wreath represents the Magi and is called the Faith Candle. The second candle increases the light on the wreath. Our faith grows not only as we proceed toward Christmas Day but also as we move through every day with faith in God’s goodness.
The Magi traveled to find Jesus on faith. They left their lands and traveled to find him when they saw the star in the sky. Their faith pulled them onwards to find and worship the King of Kings. As they searched, they stopped to see Herod, alerting the nefarious king of Jesus’ birth. Before they continued on their path, Herod ordered them to change their plans and return to tell him where he could find Jesus. Their travels fulfilled ancient prophecies and set into motion events beyond their ability to comprehend.
The faith of the Magi pulled them to find and worship Jesus.
We don’t know where they came from or how many there were. We know they brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They met Jesus sometime after His birth and before His second birthday. Most remarkable of all, they had faith to find and worship Him.
The second candle we light to remember the Magi is counterclockwise from the first candle towards the pink candle. Just as we go the opposite way around the wreath to differentiate our Advent practices from pagan rituals, the Magi defied Herod’s order and amended their travel plans to avoid another meeting with the king. Our faith reminds us to stand out and be different, go against the grain, and be believers.
As the prophets waited in hope (https://www.jenniferwake.com/post/we-wait-with-the-hope-of-the-prophets) for the Messiah, we need to follow the example of the Magi and live our lives by faith.
Scriptures to meditate on while we grow in our faith:
Matt 2:1-12
Micah 5:2, 4
Luke 2:1-7
Luke 1:26-33
Hymns to sing with your family:
We Three Kings
O Little Town of Bethlehem
O Come All Ye Faithful
Photo by KaLisa Veer on Unsplash
