Tag: epiphany

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To Marvel at Jesus’ Baptism – and My Own

Heavenly Father,
Sundays are sacred. In many churches that follow the pattern of the church year, Jesus’ baptism will be the focus of worship today. At his baptism, not only did you voice your approval of your Son for those present to hear, but the anointing power of the Holy Spirit was also visible in the form of a dove. Armed with the strength of the Spirit, your Son set out to begin his ministry and to fulfill all that was necessary to achieve our salvation. Having accomplished all that needed to be done, he also established the blessing of baptism for us, connecting us through it to every benefit he secured for us. Let believers marvel at Jesus’ baptism, so they are led to deeply treasure their own. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Win Multitudes Over to Faith

Light of the World,
This week of Epiphany, we reflect on the wise men who journeyed to worship the Savior. I pray that you continue to lead multitudes today to seek him, to find him, and to believe in him. Whatever their motives may be, give them eyes of faith to see their salvation. In their newfound joy, use them to bring others to you. Add massive numbers of souls to your kingdom, using the gifts of all of those added to build up and build out your church. Then, bless and serve the world through your church to such a degree that has never been seen before in all of history. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Never Take the Gospel for Granted

Light of the World,
This week of Epiphany, we reflect on the wise men who journeyed to worship the Savior. How were their lives changed once they returned home? How long did they bask in the wonderment of personally witnessing their Savior? Did they struggle with the return to routine and the monotony of life back to normal? Were their lives so radically impacted by their experience that even the most mundane responsibilities in life took on newfound joy?

While we cannot know the answers to such questions, we can boldly ask that the jubilation of our salvation would never be muted in our lives. We can boldly ask that the certainty of a Savior for all permanently pushes us to give our best and to give our very selves to all that we do, knowing that our labor in the Lord is never in vain. When we become complacent or unstirred by the gospel’s potency or primacy in our own lives, do whatever it takes to transport us back to the Epiphany. Help us see the Savior from the magi’s perspective, and spur on our spirit to give ourselves in wholehearted devotion to you and your gospel. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Keep Christ as Christmas Fades

Light of the World,
This week of Epiphany, we reflect on the wise men who journeyed to worship the Savior. It’s impossible to imagine the elation they must have experienced as the sight of their Savior with physical eyes merged together with their vision of him through eyes of faith. Surely they were overwhelmed with wonder! But eventually their visit had to end, and they needed to return home. How bittersweet to experience the longing for home tangled up with the urge never to leave the Savior’s side.

We know the bittersweet tug between not wanting the joy of Christmas to end while also craving the comfort of our structured schedules and normal routines. Be with those who are really struggling as the bright lights of Christmas fade. Caution those who are too eager to leave them behind in favor of workaholism or less meaningful pursuits. Allow the season of epiphany to continue shining the Savior’s light in its own unique way, and through it, reassure us that the Savior will never leave our side. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Seeking, Sharing, and Serving the Savior

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(Matthew 2:1-12)

Immediate family members, sure. Grandparents and other extended family members, at their earliest convenience, perhaps depending on travel distance. Close friends, eventually. These are the types of guests you’d naturally expect relatively soon after the birth of your child. There would be nothing out of the ordinary about those closest to you – who care about your family and have been kept in the loop throughout your pregnancy – visiting that soon after the birth of your child.

But it would be weird if random strangers with gifts showed up at your door. If you somehow found out that they were asking around about you and where to find you, that would increase the cringe factor significantly. And, if you knew the long distance they traveled just to see your child, that would make it even more awkward. No prior existing relationship with anyone in the family – just there to see the kid. Weird indeed.

But Jesus was not just another baby. We can appreciate the details Matthew shares, emphasizing that the child the Magi were seeking was no ordinary child. He tells us his name – Jesus – the name Joseph had been commanded to give to the One who would save people from their sins. There was only One to whom that name could be given.

The wisemen from the east also refer to him as “king of the Jews,” a title not just anyone could claim. Then they tell Herod they saw “his” star, not just a star or even the star, but his star. Who is worthy of having his own star??? And they explain that they aren’t there just to pay him a visit, but “to worship him” (v.2).

Then Matthew, never one to miss the opportunity to connect the prophetic dots for us, details how the chief priests and teachers of the law discovered the prophet Micah’s revelation that the birthplace would be Bethlehem. Finally, they didn’t just make a quick stop at the Dollar Tree or some gas station convenience store to pick up a last-minute gift, but brought along with them their very best gifts. No, in light of who this Child was, there was nothing odd at all about strangers from the east paying him a visit. In fact, in light of who Jesus was, we might be surprised that he didn’t welcome even more visitors!

As much as the Magi receive a lot of the attention on the Epiphany, what really stands out is that they aren’t the only ones searching for Jesus; everyone is! Everyone is seeking Jesus – the magi, Herod, the chief priests and teachers of the law – they’re all seeking Jesus. And in a sense, they represent the general types of people still seeking Jesus today.

Sadly, there is no shortage of Herod-type skeptics. Matthew reveals Herod’s true colors upon first hearing the news about Jesus: “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed” (v.3). Herod was not interested in a king to replace him, let alone a Savior. Neither are those who follow in Herod’s footsteps today. They aren’t seeking Jesus out of a need or desire to confirm that he is their Savior. Rather, they are seeking to discredit and undermine him. Any attempts at highlighting all of the ways Scripture reveals Jesus as the Savior for such skeptics are often met with frustration. That’s because for Herod-types, Scripture is viewed not as the divinely inspired Word of God, but as a book filled with holes and contradictions that is to be disproven and discredited. They seek Jesus not to trust him, but to troll him – and all believers who follow him.

Somewhat similar to the skeptics are those who might fall into the category of scholars. When Herod had called the religious scholars of his day together, “he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. ‘In Bethlehem in Judea,’ they replied, ‘for this is what the prophet has written: “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel’” (v.4-6). They were searching for Jesus, but not because they were looking for their Savior. It was their job. They were the academics, the scholars. 

There are plenty of these types today. They have the Bible right under their nose, but it is nothing more than a textbook. It is a writing of men to be studied and dissected by men, stripped of the supernatural and divine, leaving whatever relative, subjective meaning one may find. But their degrees and PhDs blind them to the reality of a Savior. They’re too smart for their own good to see any place for humbly being open to the possibility that the Bible or the God in it could in any way offer them something they could not come by or figure out on their own. 

The third type of seekers are the magi-types. They are genuinely curious. They sense there are limitations to their own understanding of the world around them and are searching for answers. They haven’t been successful in addressing the innate awareness of their own lack of goodness. They are aware of their inability to remedy the guilt and shame of their wrongdoing. They are open to the idea of religion and God, even quite convinced of their place, but aren’t sure where to begin looking or how to determine which is the right path when there are so many. So they are looking. They are seeking. They have some of the pieces of the puzzle, as the Magi did, but are still exploring. 

Each of these three types, regardless of the motivation for their seeking, all have the same thing in common: they all need the Savior. We all need the Savior. For that reason, we never stop seeking him. We are always searching to know him better, to deepen our faith.

Right? If not, when we stop seeking the Savior, that is when we start suffocating our faith. The child of God who insists on or is content to remain just a child of God. If he is not interested in maturing and growing in faith and understanding, he is leaving the door open to allowing his heavenly citizenship to expire permanently. So it isn’t just unbelievers, but also those who already belong to Jesus, who need to keep seeking him. 

Because everyone needs the Savior, it is necessary that we share him with others. While we don’t know all of the details, at some point, the news about Jesus was shared with the Magi. They may have come to learn of the God of the Bible from men like Daniel while the Jewish people were taken to Babylon. 

I love hearing stories about God’s people sharing their Savior. Some of you are very comfortable discussing the basics of salvation and Christianity with others. Some of you are amazing at sharing what you love about what Jesus is doing through your church and school, eagerly inviting others to be a part of it. For others, it’s more challenging, but you are patiently playing the long game with family or friends, dripping Jesus here and there over time, still sharing him in that way.

But, if we don’t ever share Jesus, then we’re showing something else: that we don’t really think too much of him. If the thought of sharing him never enters into my conversations, if it never crosses my mind, if the name of Jesus rarely leaves my lips except occasionally when I’m in church, what conclusion would an unbeliever draw about how important Jesus is to you? Seeking Jesus and sharing Jesus are not optional add-ons to the Christian faith; they are evidence of it.

Seeking and sharing don’t just stop there. Eventually, as God chooses to work through those efforts and bring others to faith or strengthen our faith, it leads to serving. Listen to Matthew describe how the Magi planned to serve their Savior with their gifts in verse 11: “Then they opened their [leftovers] and presented him with gifts of [crumbs from the bottom of the chip bag, some pocket change, and the doggie bag from their last meal at the restaurant].” Wait, that’s not right. It was gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The Magi served their Savior with their best gifts, not their leftovers. 

What does he get from us? Firstfruits or leftovers? Some of us spend more on coffee than we do on Christ. Some went all of 2025 without once thinking about how they serve Jesus with their financial gifts and haven’t considered what their giving will look like in this new year. Some convince themselves that their serving or volunteering is somehow in place of regular offerings, as if God’s grace to us doesn’t warrant service through offerings and volunteering. Some will always leave the work of ministry to others, ignoring that the very definition of ministry is service. Some will spend the better part of their Christian lives content to serve Jesus with leftovers. 

But thankfully, that sad reality is not reflective of God’s love for us. Christmas reminds us of that. It wasn’t just the magi who gave their best gifts; so did God. He gave us Jesus. He gave us his absolute best. And Jesus came to do all of the things we’re called to do, too.

Jesus came to seek, to share, to serve. He came to seek the lost. He came to share his heavenly inheritance and all that accompanies it with us. He came to serve us. And he did all of this perfectly, without fail or flaw. And in doing so, he did much more than just set the perfect example for us to follow; he provided the very perfection we needed to be right with God. He also paid the price we couldn’t by his sacrifice on the cross. Jesus came to seek, to share, and to serve, and through all of this, he came to save us. 

What prompts us to imitate Jesus through the first three: seeking, sharing, and serving? It’s that we can’t do the fourth – saving; only he can.

And he did. We don’t have to save ourselves (not that we could!); he came to do that for us. The same Savior who welcomed the visitors from the east will welcome us into his eternal presence as well. Until then, how will you maximize your remaining time here on earth seeking, sharing, and serving the Savior, in 2026 and beyond? 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Serve You with My Best

Light of the World,
This week of Epiphany, we reflect on the wise men who journeyed to worship the Savior. Their journey, coupled with their determination to track down their Savior, would have been remarkable enough to reflect how much they treasured their King. But they didn’t stop there. Instead, they arrived bearing the costliest of gifts. They gave their best for the Best.

Help me to do the same in my service and my gift-giving to you. Let my acts of service be willing, joyful, and generous. Let my gifts flow freely and full of faith. You were born to serve me with your life and death, then raised again to rule the whole universe for my good. Use this precious truth to move and motivate my whole-hearted, all-in service to you. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For All Who Seek Jesus to Also Share Jesus

Light of the World,
On this day of Epiphany, we reflect on the wise men who journeyed to worship the Savior. At some point, in some way, the news about the birth of the Savior had reached their ears and touched their hearts. That wonderful message was shared with them. Undoubtedly, upon returning to their own country and people, they shared not only stories of their travels with others, but also the news that a Savior for all people had been born. Like the angels and shepherds before them, they couldn’t help but make known to others this life-changing news. Lead all who seek the Savior also to share him. Use me to make known to others the life-changing news that a Savior has come into the world – a Savior for all people. Rather than assuming everyone already knows this, which is simply untrue, help me live as if they don’t, so that I approach my interactions with others as if I cannot wait to share something amazing with them.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

Prayer Priorities

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(Ephesians 3:14-21)

There are just certain types of stories that are always going to make the headlines in the news. We can always expect to hear about any sort of catastrophic disaster that happens anywhere in the world. Prominent people falling from grace or passing away unexpectedly will make the news. Shocking crimes and courtroom drama won’t be overlooked. Radical changes in laws or policies, sports milestones, and weather extremes will be included. And of course, perhaps near the top of the list of the most newsworthy items: who’s dating who? 

While we may brush that last one off, since many of us claim not to care about who’s dating among the rich and famous, apparently such stories generate enough buzz that the news outlets are sure to keep us posted on the latest relationship details. When you think about it, though, it’s kind of silly thing for that to be such a big deal when you consider the point of dating. It’s just two people interested enough in each other that they want to get to know each other better. That’s why we commit to either dating one person exclusively, or dating a variety of people – in order to get to know someone better. 

Paul’s words to the Ephesians may not mention the word “date” anywhere, and his words aren’t likely to make major headlines in our world today, but his prayer is that we would get to know our Savior better. And even though getting to know the Savior better isn’t going to generate a buzz or make for click-worthy headlines, he does want it to be a major story in our own personal life. While that may not serve as any revelation or epiphany to you (most believers are well aware that part of Christianity is getting to know God better), perhaps our epiphany moment is the realization that our prayer life can go a long way in helping us get to know Jesus better. In a previous post I said baptism may be one of the most underutilized and under appreciated blessings of the Christian faith. Prayer probably deserves to be in that discussion, too. 

We want to see how a significant shift in our prayer lives can aid us in knowing Jesus better. You’ve probably heard more sermons on prayer than you can recall. But even if you can’t remember how many of them you’ve heard, I am guessing you can summarize your takeaway from just about every one of them: “I should pray more.” Sound about right? Well, today I don’t want you to walk away with that same conclusion. Today I want to challenge you to focus not just on praying more, but praying differently.

When you reflect on your personal prayer life, prayer requests from others, or prayer-related comments on someone’s social media post about a tragedy or health issue, what is the primary focus of those prayers, by and large? Aren’t they overwhelmingly related to physical and temporal requests?

It’s natural for us to pray for – and request prayers for – everyone affected by the wildfires. We don’t think twice about it. We’re comfortable divulging the diagnosis or disease a family member just discovered and asking for prayers for them. We aren’t shy about sharing news about our recently unemployed neighbor, a friend’s child who is struggling with this or that, or someone going through a divorce – we gladly request prayers on their behalf. And that’s good! We certainly don’t want to stop doing these things!

But let’s consider how we might approach these prayers differently. After all, there is no physical concern that doesn’t also have a spiritual element connected to it. Everything is spiritual, because that is who we are in Christ: spiritually made new. So there will never really be a prayer request that is limited to just the tangible and temporal; everything is spiritual. 

Think of how this relates to some of the examples just listed. The physical loss experienced as a result of the wildfires will test the faith of many, strengthening the faith of some and perhaps stripping the faith of others, because questions about God’s love and providence will naturally arise. These are spiritual matters. Diagnoses and diseases lead to thoughts of healing and possibly even life and death. These are spiritual matters. Things like unemployment, struggling kids, and divorce most often involve spiritual breakdowns somewhere along the line, or at least open the door for it. These are spiritual matters. So what portion of our prayers in regard to such things is spiritual? See how it isn’t just a matter of praying more, but also praying differently. 

A question for consideration: is a prayer life that focuses primarily on physical blessings reflective of a life that is lacking spiritual focus? On the one hand, any sort of prayer life, even one made up primarily of the physical and temporal, is still a reflection of some measure of spiritual maturity, since prayer is an expression of faith. Let’s acknowledge that and celebrate it. Anytime prayer is regularly incorporated as a spiritual discipline it is a good thing. But the next step in growth is to give greater consideration to the content of our prayer life.

As you skim through these words from Paul to the Ephesians, do you notice anything? Now that I’ve already been highlighting it, the content of his prayer stands out even more, doesn’t it? Notice how many physical or temporal requests he includes? By my count, it’s zero. 

Let’s break down Paul’s prayer. First he writes, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (v.16-17a). When we face a tough task, feel under qualified, or are just too exhausted to accomplish something we had planned on getting done, we explain it by saying, “I don’t have it in me.” We know what someone means when they speak those words.

It is true that we don’t have it in ourselves, but Paul doesn’t pray for that; instead, his prayer is that we see that what is inside us that is even more powerful: Christ. His prayer is that through the Spirit, we may be strengthened with power so that more of Christ resides and rules in our hearts. When Christ rules prominently in our hearts, that leaves less room for all the other stuff in the world and in our lives that is constantly seeking residence there, all of which would harm us spiritually. When is that last time you prayer for Christ to dwell in your heart more?

Paul goes on, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ…” (v.17a-18). As a child you may have learned the beautifully simple song, “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” It’s true! He does, and even a child can grasp what it means that God loves us. But Paul takes it to another level.

His prayer is that our understanding of God’s love for us in Christ would expand, that as we deepen the roots of our faith and build on the established foundation, we would begin to see how much bigger God’s love for us in Christ really is. Do we have a limited vision of God’s love, as if it’s a small cabinet space or cardboard box that a small child tries to squeeze into? How wrong that is!

God’s love is so expansive that there is more than enough room for all of us, no matter who we are or what we’ve done. And no matter how much we think we know God’s love right now, there’s room to grow in knowing it even more. When is the last time you prayed to better know the depth of God’s love for you?

And Paul wants to make sure we don’t just know God’s love, but that we know God’s love, “and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (v.19). Paul isn’t just interested in God’s people sitting in a classroom and taking notes on his spiritual lectures so that we know all the right answers for some final test. He wants for us to know a love that surpasses knowledge. Stop and think about how illogical that is, humanly speaking. How can someone know something that surpasses knowledge? 

By knowing it not just intellectually, but also experientially. Paul’s prayer is that head Christians would grow into heart Christians. When that happens – when what we know about God’s love from our knowledge of the Bible and its promises – becomes what we know because we’ve experienced it, that is when we are filled to the measure of all fullness.

Christianity isn’t just facts to memorize and spit out at others, but truths that shape our entire lives and experiences. How do we, who know from experience what it is to be loved deeply by God, ever explain that to an unbeliever? We can’t. The Spirit does it, as he takes the knowledge and truth of God’s love for us in Christ, and through faith injects it into our spiritual DNA so that it becomes who we are and shapes how we live. Who doesn’t want to be filled to that measure of the fullness of God? So when is the last time you prayed to know God’s love more experientially?

Finally, as intimidating as all of this may sound, remember this about the One hearing your prayers: he is “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (v.20). When we look at ourselves, we may shake our heads at all of what Paul is praying for and conclude it’ll never be us. It just won’t. It may be for some people, but I’m just too much of a mess or not spiritual enough or too bad a person or whatever else we may tell ourselves. So Paul reminds us that none of what he’s prayed for is contingent upon the Ephesians – or us, for that matter; rather, it’s all dependent on God, the God who is able to do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” You think too little of God if you do not ask him to carry out all of these prayers of Paul on your own behalf, too. 

Yes, he can do more than you ask of him, and, that power by which he does it is already at work in you. Right now! Today! This very moment! We aren’t talking about starting from scratch. We aren’t talking about the daunting task of trying to figure out where to start. We aren’t wasting our time wondering if this will all work, because it’s already at work in us!

You have faith. You are a believer. You are already his – the heaviest lifting has already been done by God’s grace in bringing you to faith. Don’t you imagine he’s interested in finishing in you what he started by helping you know him better?

Then let’s pray for more of that in our lives, and less of the stuff that is short-lived and ultimately unsatisfying. Let’s pray for the spiritual goods, and do so with the confidence that the one able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine is more than capable of delivering.

Married? Single? Dating? Off the market? No matter your dating status, pray to know Jesus better.

A Gift for Everyone

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(1 Kings 10:1-9)

With Christmas now behind us, it’s probably time to start thinking about next year’s gifts. Wouldn’t Christmas shopping be so much easier if you could just get the same gift for everyone? Some are disgusted by such a thought, as they love the experience and challenge of finding the perfect gift for each person on their list. Others, though, would love the idea of a one-gift-fits-all solution. 

Of course it wouldn’t realistically work. Children don’t want the same types of gifts that adults would appreciate receiving. People have different likes and interests. And inevitably, there’s always one or two who already have the gift you got them. It’s a nice thought, but wishful thinking to imagine the same gift would work for everyone.

There is an exception, though: Epiphany. When we celebrate Epiphany, what we’re really celebrating is A Gift for Everyone. The Savior is for everyone, and the whole season of the church year known as the season of Epiphany (which means “revelation”), draws our attention to this truth and our role in making it known. 

When someone explains that they’ve had an epiphany regarding something, they aren’t saying anything about that thing or that experience itself changed, but rather that their perception or understanding of it is what has changed. Some revelation or unknown detail becomes known to them and now they look at it differently. 

So it is with Jesus. You already know who Jesus is. You already know what the Bible says about him. He hasn’t changed and won’t change. But what can change is our perception or understanding of him, so that we look at him differently. 

We notice this even within Christianity. One Christian is passionately engaged in church life or vocal and active in some ministry, while another is rather ho-hum about his faith in general, really kind of indifferent – could take it or leave it. What accounts for the difference? Has Jesus changed? Is he one type of Jesus for the one Christian but another type of Jesus for the other? 

No. Same Jesus. Just a different perception or understanding of him. Which description do you think God desires to apply to believers – the first or second type of Christian? Then let’s pray that, as we need it, the Spirit provides an epiphany and adjusts our perception of Jesus so that we embrace what it means that he is truly A Gift for Everyone.

The queen of Sheba had a certain perception of the Lord, which at least in part prompted her visit to Solomon. She wasn’t just star- struck by his fame; “his relationship to the Lord” also played a role in her curiosity. Was she, like the wise men who traveled to worship Jesus, interested in seeking out the true God, that she might worship him, too? It’s possible. However, as a powerful leader herself, she may also have been interested in the religious element from the standpoint of pursuing anything that might possibly work to her own benefit and advantage. If Solomon was truly as successful as the news about him indicated, then surely it wouldn’t hurt to look into the matter some more and see if there were some additional religious bases she could cover in hopes of replicating his success for herself. Wanting to do some investigating, she journeyed to Jerusalem with gifts in hand, preparing to “test Solomon with hard questions” (v.1) and “talk[ed] with him about all that she had on her mind” (v.2). 

Even the brightest among us today is light years apart from matching the wisdom or wealth of Solomon. We ought not hold our breath waiting for international visitors to pay us a visit and pepper us with penetrating questions to put our wisdom to the test. 

But you do have something in common with Solomon that will lead to questions from others: your “relationship to the Lord” (That assumes, of course, that others know about your relationship to the Lord because you don’t seek to keep it a secret. Or live a double-life that looks the part on Sundays while walking in-step with the world Monday-Saturday. Or avoid discussing it because you don’t wish to offend, turn off, or make others uncomfortable). 

But if you simply live out your calling as a Christian in an increasingly Christ-less society, you will stand out – and in a good way. And people will notice. And when people notice that something is different in a good way, they want to know why. So they ask questions. They will ask you questions.

How would Solomon respond to the Queen’s questions? Would he rise to the challenge? “Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her” (v.3). Solomon didn’t disappoint. The magnitude and magnificence of his kingdom left her “overwhelmed” (v.5) (the original literally means it took her breath away). In her own words, “The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard” (v.6-7). 

But as impressed as she was by Solomon and his kingdom, it was the conclusion she drew about it all that is noteworthy. She didn’t just fawn over him with flattery, like some love-struck or gold-digging pursuer might. Instead, she genuinely expressed what a blessing Solomon must have been to the people he ruled. And, even more shocking from a Gentile ruler, she lavished praise on the Lord! “How happy your people must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king to maintain justice and righteousness” (v.8-9). 

It would not be a stretch to conclude that when the queen departed after her visit with Solomon, she did so as a believer. Her own words certainly imply as much. Additionally, Jesus’ own words in the Gospel of Matthew could also be understood to support this. In chastising the Pharisees for asking him for a sign to back up who he was, Jesus said, “The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here” (Mt. 12:42). Whether or not she ended up a believer, what is obvious about her time with Solomon is that God was glorified. So it may have been Solomon’s wisdom and wealth that initially captured her attention, it all worked out so that God ended up being the hero of Solomon’s story.

And that’s the goal when others come to us with their questions: we want to make God the hero of our story. Because he is. 

Stick with me on this thought for a moment, because working through it may be what provides a bit of an epiphany for some of you regarding your relationship to God. When others come to us with their questions, do you see that as an opportunity to make God the hero of our story? If it’s not, then let’s ask why. 

Could it be because you want people to know you for you and your accomplishments or reputation, and not to label or identify you by your faith or religious affiliation? Essentially then, you want to be the hero of your story, not God. If that is the case, your own pride will remain a wedge between where you are now and the epiphany that needs to take place for you to see who Jesus really is for you. 

Or, if making God the hero of your story isn’t your goal, is it because you’re ashamed of being associated with him by others? Do you feel it necessary to keep your belief in him on the down low because of the flack you’ll take for it? The Bible does have a warning or two for those who profess to be believers, but are ashamed of God or being associated with him. Is this the epiphany that needs to take place for you to see who Jesus really is for you?

Here’s the real kicker: if for either of those reasons or any other, we refuse to let God be the hero of our story, we are blatantly displaying this ugly reality: we don’t deserve him. We don’t. If God is an after thought in your life, if he’s way down on the totem pole, if he’s conveniently tucked away in your back pocket and hidden from others, you don’t deserve him. 

Honestly, what is your faith made of if you treat God like your dirty little secret that you don’t want anyone else to find out about? Is it really faith? Why bother hanging on to him by a thread any longer if that’s all he is to you? Just let him go and relieve yourself of the constant burden of having to keep him hidden from others. Some need to have an epiphany and see that this really is an alarming description of their current relationship with Jesus.

Solomon didn’t try to keep God hidden from the queen. In fact, he did quite the opposite. He made it known that the Lord was responsible for all of his blessings of wealth & wisdom. What conclusion do you suppose Sheba drew about how highly Solomon thought of the Lord based on what she witnessed of his worship? Remember that list that impressed her so much? Included in it was “the burnt offerings he made at the temple of the Lord” (v.5). While the original there could also be taken as a reference to the impressive appearance of Solomon’s Temple, either way we interpret it, his worship of the Lord was evidently a priority. So during her visit, two things were obvious to Sheba: 1) how much the Lord meant to Solomon, and 2) how much Solomon meant to the Lord.

When others come to you with their questions, are those two things obvious? Can they tell how much the Lord means to you, and can they tell how much you mean to the Lord? When God is the hero of your story, they will.

And how can he be anything but the hero of our story? What do we have and what can we claim that isn’t from God? Physical blessings abound, but those are much further down the list than the spiritual blessings. My baptism serves as the adoption papers that I belong to God’s family – how much must I mean to the Lord?!? He regularly gives himself to me in Communion to ease my guilty conscience and refresh my worn out soul – how much must I mean to the Lord?!? Jesus’ birth took place so that he could be my Savior – how much must I mean to the Lord? He endure the shock and shame and beatings and the brutality of the cross for me – how much must I mean to the Lord? He defeated the one enemy who was literally capable of making my life an eternal hell – how much must I mean to the Lord? 

When all of this work of Jesus on my behalf plays over and over again in my heart and mind, my life will also clearly reflect how much the Lord means to me. I will jump at the opportunity to talk him up and brag about him. I will eagerly acknowledge to others that every good thing in my life – including the good he brings out of the bad – is from his loving hand. I will welcome the questions others have as a chance to bring my Savior into the conversation and make sure he is the hero of my story. Because he is. And when others come to see how much I treasure this gift of Jesus for everyone, they might come to treasure him as their gift, too.

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Keep My Evangelism Efforts Simple

Lord God,
When I am stuck or don’t know where to start in my witnessing efforts, keep me from overthinking it. Help me to keep it simple by always being curious. Every conversation is an open door to ask questions. Give me a genuine desire to be more interested in others than being interesting to others. Open my ears to listen for openings to ask thoughtful questions, then keep my ears open to stay focused on listening to the answers. In doing so, lay out clear paths to bring you into the conversation in ways that speak to the hearts of others. May these approaches lead to ongoing conversations in the future, providing your Spirit with as much time as necessary for my words and your Word to accomplish their saving purposes. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.