Leaving Different
"And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way." - Matthew 2:11-12
When the wise men finally found Jesus, they were overwhelmed. Their long journey, the sacrifices they made, and the determination it took to reach Him were all worth it when they saw Him. Matthew 2:11 describes their joy as uncontainable. They fell and worshiped Him, giving gifts from their hearts. They didn’t need a nudge or encouragement to show love to the One they came so far to see. The love they had for Jesus flowed naturally from within. Their praise was unrehearsed, unprompted, and unstoppable.
Have you ever felt this kind of gratitude? When you look at what God has brought you through, has there been something in you that just has to say, “Thank you, Lord”? When the wise men saw Jesus, their immediate response was to love on Him with everything they had, honoring Him with praise and worship.
We can do the same. Sometimes, we wait for the “right moment” or for someone else to lead us into gratitude. But when you remember the doors God has opened, the ways He’s made, and the grace He’s shown, the gratitude should come freely. Sometimes, you don’t need a prompt, you just need to remember what God has done.
Maybe today, you’re feeling the need for a shift. You may come to Him with burdens, but God invites you to leave His presence different than you came. He offers peace for your anxiety, hope for your despair, and purpose for your confusion.
When you bring your heart before Him, He changes you. Just like the wise men who left a different way, you can leave here today renewed, restored, and ready for the journey ahead. When you encounter Jesus, you’re meant to be different—different in how you think, speak, and act. It’s time to take that step of gratitude and choose to believe the truth that is, “I’m different because of Him.”
When the wise men finally found Jesus, they were overwhelmed. Their long journey, the sacrifices they made, and the determination it took to reach Him were all worth it when they saw Him. Matthew 2:11 describes their joy as uncontainable. They fell and worshiped Him, giving gifts from their hearts. They didn’t need a nudge or encouragement to show love to the One they came so far to see. The love they had for Jesus flowed naturally from within. Their praise was unrehearsed, unprompted, and unstoppable.
Have you ever felt this kind of gratitude? When you look at what God has brought you through, has there been something in you that just has to say, “Thank you, Lord”? When the wise men saw Jesus, their immediate response was to love on Him with everything they had, honoring Him with praise and worship.
We can do the same. Sometimes, we wait for the “right moment” or for someone else to lead us into gratitude. But when you remember the doors God has opened, the ways He’s made, and the grace He’s shown, the gratitude should come freely. Sometimes, you don’t need a prompt, you just need to remember what God has done.
Maybe today, you’re feeling the need for a shift. You may come to Him with burdens, but God invites you to leave His presence different than you came. He offers peace for your anxiety, hope for your despair, and purpose for your confusion.
When you bring your heart before Him, He changes you. Just like the wise men who left a different way, you can leave here today renewed, restored, and ready for the journey ahead. When you encounter Jesus, you’re meant to be different—different in how you think, speak, and act. It’s time to take that step of gratitude and choose to believe the truth that is, “I’m different because of Him.”
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