We Three Kings Of Orient Are
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect Light.
When my kids were little, there were two words we made a point of teaching them. Patience and obedience. Only you can't really hand Webster's dictionary to a 3 or 4 year old, so we had to explain these things in a way they could understand.
Patience is waiting without whining
Obedience is doing what you're instructed to do and having a good attitude about doing it. (As they got older, we took this one a step further and explained that immediate obedience means obeying all the way and without delay.)
Both of these words have deeper meaning as they (and we) get older. We all can use a little practice "waiting without whining". I have to wonder how many times our Heavenly Father has wanted to remind me of the same thing! And obedience? Having a right heart makes all the difference. I have to trusty that God knows what is best for me. I don't have to know or understand WHY, but my feet need to be quick to go His way.
I think the "3 kings" referred to in today's Christmas carol displayed both patience and obedience quite well. They had been anxiously anticipating the Messiah, waiting for His arrival, when the Star led the way. They did what they were instructed to do and went quickly to follow the Star to their newborn King.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says-
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
In what ways do you need to practice patience and obedience?
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