The Year-Long Christmas Decoration
I finally put away the last of the Christmas decorations yesterday. One of the last to go was my nativity scene. It’s always difficult for me to put Jesus back in a box!
However, I do display one decoration all year long, the three wise men. They sit on the bookshelf next to where I write and study. For whatever reason, I like visible encouragers near where I spend the most time with the Lord and the wise men encourage me.
First of all, as a Christian, I want to have the Faith of the Wise Men.
They studied the Scriptures and believed a Messiah was coming. They received the timing of Jesus’ birth from prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27 and knew about the star through Balaam’s prophecy in Numbers 24:17: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab, the skullofall the people of Sheth. Based on that faith, they searched for Jesus and traveled anywhere from 800-900 miles to worship him, probably making the long journey from Persia. As the wise men believed and acted on the scriptures, I want to have that same faith in my daily study of the Word. I want to search for Him and will not rest until I find Him!
The Magi were joyful when they knew they were on the right path. Scripture says in Matthew 2:10, When they say the star, they were overjoyed. As my three wise men overlook my work space, many times I am in prayer seeking God’s direction for the day. It’s a joyful feeling when God confirms I am on the right path! What about you? When we spend time in the morning giving our day over to God, we should claim Isaiah 30:21: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Do you take the time to listen for that still, small voice?
The wise men were humble. When they finally reached Jesus, they bowed down and worshiped him. These magi may have been advisors to the king or kings themselves, but they recognized the king before them and humbled themselves. Over the past few years, the Lord has been hammering away at my own pride issues and it is my goal to be a humble servant of God, not only before God but also before others. I know I still fail at times, but I pray daily to put others before myself.
The wise men came bearing gifts. The magi laid presents of gold for a king, incense for God and myrrh, used to anoint the dead. As I use my own spiritual gifts, I do not utilize them for my glory, but for the Lord’s. It is my intent to lay them before the king and hopefully, to not take credit for any words He gives me for writing or speaking. I believe God still inspires us and I give him all the credit for what is written here on the blog. What about your gifts? Do you lay them before the King?
The wise men desired to trust God, not man. After their visit with Jesus was over, they returned to their country by another route because they were warned in a dream to not go back to King Herod. Herod had specifically told them in Mathew 2: 8: Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him. The magi might have received some perks from going back Herod’s way, but they chose to trust God, not Herod. When given the choice between God and man’s wisdom, I want to choose God’s wisdom every time. When we do that, many times it requires more faith to trust God than it does to trust man, but I’ve found that God’s wisdom is always the wisdom that is true, no matter how far-fetched it might seem at the time. If it always made sense to us, trust would not be needed!
So I continue on my own spiritual journey along with the wise men nearby. They set an example for me that I like to be reminded of. What about you? What can you learn from their testimony?