Follow that Star

By: Emily Miller

I find it amusing how most nativity scenes include the wise men at the stable when they were about two years late to the party.

This made me think though, about how they saw the star, then for two years proceeded to follow it until they found the Christ child with His parents.

Two years is a long time to commit to anything, let alone travel to see the prophesied baby.

Yet, when the three magi could have given up, when they could have turned around and headed back to their homeland, they kept going.

All because they believed in the ancient Biblical prophecies they had studied and they refused to give up on their goal of seeing the messiah so that they might worship him.

 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, 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.”

 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

-Matthew 2:2-12

I want to challenge you today to follow the example of the Magi. If you feel as though you have let your relationship with God slide to the back burner over this past year, or even in this busy season alone, come back to Him.

He is always there for you. All you have to do is follow that star.

Blessings-

Emily