Wednesday, December 20

"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.'”

Whenever I'm in a dark place with clear skies I love to go out at night and gaze up at the stars. I am always filled with wonder at the glory of God's creation spectacularly displayed in the vast night sky. I've lived all of my life in the city, however, where most of the stars are lost in the constant glow of electric lights. The few brightest stars that manage to burn through the city glare do still fill me with awe.

The wise men of Matthew 2 saw the star marking Jesus' birth and were so filled with wonder that they set out to find and worship him. They recognized the significance of the star and refused to be distracted or deterred in their quest to find the King whose birth it marked. I pray that in this Advent season and beyond we can block out some of the glaring and distracting lights that fill our world and instead focus on Christ as the guiding light for our lives, seeking Him as diligently as the Magi did.