Follow the Revelation in Faith!

The wise men of Matthew 2 followed the star by faith to find the Savior. Their understanding of scriptures and desire to experience the promise compelled them to seek out the truth of the prophecy. Matt. 2:10, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

The shepherds of Luke 2 were so driven by their experience of the revelation that they were compelled by their faith to seek out the truth of the angels proclamation. Luke 2:15, “And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.”

Faith is essential to our discovery of the promised Messiah! The fact of our need and desire for faith was impressed upon me recently while listening to traditional Christmas music. One phrase really stood out to me and it is for that reason that I want to share my thoughts. The song was “Have yourself a merry little Christmas” and I have included it here.

“Through the years we all will be together and

If the fates allow, oh yeah
But 'til then we'll have to muddle through somehow,
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.”

The line that really impressed me was, “if the fates allow,” with particular emphasis on the word “fate.” The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “fate” as a state or end that seemingly has been decided before hand. Synonyms include circumstance, destiny, doom, fortune, kismet, lot, portion.

What is the difference in our lives being directed by fate or faith? People who allow fate to be their compass in life will go with the flow. Their lives are driven by the events that surround them much like rivers and streams rise and fall with the ebb and flow of the seasons. In the summer months, when there is less rainfall, these bodies of water remain restricted within their banks and appear to move effortlessly because water will choose the path of least resistance. In the winter and spring when there is typically more rainfall, the rivers and streams can escape their banks but still seek the path of least resistance. They escape their banks because of the sheer volume of water. The ebb and flow of the rivers and streams is determined by the events in weather and will respond accordingly always moving down stream with gravity.

Followers of fate live a reactionary life, simply responding to the events and conditions in their lives as they occur. We all react to the circumstances around us but circumstances cannot be our compass in life. As followers of Jesus Christ, faith is the driving force in our lives. We cannot seek the path of least resistance and most of the time we are called upon to move against the current. God's Word requires that we fight against the onslaught of public opinion and stand for Truth. As Believer's in Jesus Christ, we must call attention to the moral depravity that is running rampant in this world. With faith as our compass we can move ahead with purpose, God's purpose. We will not be deterred by the negative events and conditions around us. Because our faith is in the finished work of Jesus Christ, we can see beyond our immediate future to our promised end.