Seasoned Veracity

Day 24, Advent 2011

ACTION

“As for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” (John 9:29)

“Behold the Man!” (John 19:5)

“Behold your King!” (John 19:14)

 

Where the Action Is

Two thousand years ago, no headline read

"BABY BORN IN BETHLEHEM STABLE, LAID IN MANGER"

 “A baby? So what? Babies are born every day.”

“Bethlehem? Who cares? Nothing important ever happens in that little town.”

 

Those looking for action headed to Jerusalem,

To Ephesus,

To Rome,

To the centers of

Political power,

Commercial clout and

Military might.

 

And they missed it.

 

God did something in that little town

To change the world.

And most of the world had no clue.

 

But the ears of some shepherds

And the eyes of some wise men

Were turned toward heaven.

 

They discovered that God was up to something.

And they wanted in on it.

 

Where is the center of action in this world?

Where God is at work.

 

What is God doing in your town?

 

PRAYER

Lord, let me not be deceived by media accounts of what is happening in the world. Open my eyes to see what you are doing, open my ears to hear what you are saying. Your Kingdom come, Lord, here in this place, now in this time, even in my life. 

 

Day 23, Advent 2011

SUBMISSION

And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)

No baby is born on its own, not even Jesus. Every birth involves two individuals, mother and baby. Mary, mother of Jesus, played an essential role at his coming into the world.

Protestants criticize Catholics for focusing too much attention on Mary, and elevating her to a higher standing than is warranted or right. But Protestants may be guilty of not paying enough attention to the mother of Jesus. There is much we can learn from this young woman of faith.

Mary was a young teenager, living in a small town, engaged to a carpenter. She likely harbored the same dreams as her friends, of building a home and a family with happy, healthy children. An ordinary girl in an ordinary town with an ordinary life and an ordinary future. But the events of one ordinary day turned her life upside down, altering her plans and her future forever.

An angel suddenly appears to Mary and offers a cryptic greeting, addressing her as “highly favored.” As Mary ponders the meaning of this greeting, the angel goes on to speak of a baby boy, then thrones and crowns and an everlasting kingdom! What could it all mean? She isn’t even married yet. Maybe the angel made a mistake and came to the wrong house!

At first afraid to speak, Mary gathers her courage and questions the heavenly visitor: “How can these things be?” The angel makes it clear that there is no mistake. He speaks of her relative Elizabeth, and affirms that God will take care of the how.

Mary is familiar with the Old Testament stories, how God opened the wombs of Sarah and Hannah and the mother of Samson. He has now done the same for the aged Elizabeth. But in Mary’s case, God will do something unprecedented. There will be no man to play the role of Abraham, Elkanah, Manoah and Zechariah.

Of course, God is involved in every birth. It is God who imparts life through the union of sperm and egg. God is the source of life, and He has given man and woman the privilege of acting as instruments to convey this life. But in the case of Mary, God will act directly, and dispense with any male intermediary. The divine life of God the Son is to be implanted in her womb through the agency of the Holy Spirit. The angel speaks to Mary of miraculous conception, and closes with the resounding affirmation that “with God nothing shall be impossible!”

Now comes the crucial moment of decision. God doesn’t force Mary to take part in His plan, but waits for her voluntary cooperation. Mary chooses to set aside her doubts, and to believe the word of the Lord spoken to her. She doesn’t understand it all, but she offers herself as a servant for God to carry out His plan through her. Her response of faith and obedience secures for her a special place in salvation history as mother of the Messiah.

Mary is presented to us in Scripture, not as an idol to worship, but as a model to imitate. Like Mary, we are ordinary people offered an extraordinary opportunity to take part in God’s amazing plan. We, too, can play a role in God’s work of salvation. Through Mary, Jesus entered the world. Through us, Jesus can enter the lives of our family, friends and neighbors.

Do you believe that God can use your life to accomplish wonders? Are you willing to set aside your doubts and believe His word? God has saved us, and He has a plan to use our lives to demonstrate His glory and to bless others. But it all depends on our faith and obedience.

Mary gave up her own dreams and embraced God’s plan for her life. In so doing, she found herself blessed beyond measure, and saw God do things through her that she had never imagined.

What about you?

 

Day 22, Advent 2011

ORDINARY

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night. (Luke 2:7, 8)

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem 2000 years ago, it was a unique event in the history of the cosmos. The God who created the world began to relate to it in a new way. In a sense, before that day God was on the outside looking in. But at that first Christmas, God entered the world He made, and lived on the inside as a human being like us.

On the first Christmas, God visited this world in a special way. It is helpful to consider how God worked and the kinds of ways in which He revealed Himself at that momentous time in history. In doing so, we can learn some interesting and instructive things about how God works and reveals Himself in our lives today.

First, we note that God prepared a special star to shine in the heavens announcing the birth of His Son. It was fitting that an event of such cosmic significance should be heralded by a cosmic sign. For all we know, only the magi in the Orient understood the meaning of the message, and responded by seeking the Christ child. But God doesn’t mind orchestrating the movements of stars and planets in order to reach open hearts and lead them to worship.

Second, we note that God sent a band of angels from heaven to earth to announce the birth of His Son to shepherds on a hillside. First a single angel made an appearance, shining brightly with the glory of the Lord. Then he was joined by a multitude of the heavenly host bursting forth in a chorus of praise to God. Again, it is fitting that heavenly beings should make an appearance on the night when heaven and earth merged in the God-Child, Jesus.

A sign in the heavens, angels resplendent with glory – these are the kinds of grand and supernatural ways we expect God to work. Yet Christmas is not just a story of the extraordinary and miraculous. A weary couple, a stable, shepherds – we also find these ordinary things playing important roles. And at the center of it all, a baby in a manger. What does this mean?

It means that God works not only through miraculous signs and wonders, but also through ordinary items and events. It means that God reveals Himself not only in the awesome and spectacular, but also in the common and familiar.

To be sure, God continues to perform miracles, and we are right to expect them. But we also need to learn to see God working in the familiar people and events of our everyday lives.

Remember that both the magi and the shepherds received a message from God when engaged in their ordinary daily jobs, whether star-gazing or sheep-watching. And remember that both were directed to find God in a common stable.

Perhaps we don’t need to stand staring at the sky, waiting for God to show a sign or send an angel. He may be waiting for us right next door, or in that shabby building down the street.

A God who reveals Himself in a stable just might show up anywhere.

 

Day 21, Advent 2011

IMMANUEL

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). (Matthew 1:22-23)

Some 700 years before the birth of Christ, Isaiah delivered a cryptic prophecy to Ahaz, king of Judah, who was under threat of attack from Syria and Samaria. It isn’t clear exactly what the prophecy meant to the king who heard it, or even to the prophet who spoke it. But Matthew tells us that whatever the short-term and partial fulfillment may have been, the long-term and ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah’s words came about with the conception and birth of Jesus.

Immanuel – the name expresses the amazing truth about Jesus’ miraculous birth. As the angel told Joseph, “that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20). Mary conceived and gave birth as a virgin. Jesus had no human father, for God Himself initiated a supernatural conception through which the divine Son entered Mary’s womb, and grew from fetus to infant to boy to man.

Immanuel – the name summarizes the central meaning of Christmas. At Christmas we celebrate the day when God came to be with us. The creator of the universe entered into his creation, and became a human being. As Eugene Peterson put it, he “moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14, The Message). He came to be with us, to live alongside us, and experienced all the good, bad and ugly of human life -- and death.

Immanuel – the name reveals the Trinitarian nature of God. The Father sent the Son into the world through the agency of the Holy Spirit, who came upon Mary and effected her pregnancy. The Father is God transcendent, dwelling in highest heaven above all creation, beyond our reach. The Spirit is God immanent, invisibly present everywhere in the midst of creation, out of sight. The Son is Immanuel, God with us, God like us, walking the same road we walk, in a form we recognize.

Immanuel – the name brings God out of the realm of speculation and into our own backyard. Because of Christmas, God is more than just an abstract idea to be debated and evaluated and then set aside. Because of Christmas, God is not unknowable, untouchable, unreachable. He is not distant and aloof. He is near. Jesus came to reveal God to us, to be God with us.

Christmas is the most social of holidays, a time to gather and celebrate with family and friends. But for some, estranged or separated from family and friends, Christmas can be the loneliest of holidays.

Thankfully, no one has to celebrate Christmas alone. God is with us, and he has promised never to leave or forsake us. Immanuel has come!

PRAYER

Lord, how wonderful to know that you have come near to us, that you are with us, always! May we never forget your name, Immanuel, and the faithful promise it signifies. 

 

Day 20, Advent 2011

RESPONSE

As it is written, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." (Romans 9:33)

He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:11-12)

The birth of the Son of God as a human being was the greatest event that had ever occurred in the history of the world. God himself actually entered into the world he had made, to live among us! Yet his coming was by no means universally welcomed.

Consider King Herod. The magi journeyed far from the Orient to see the new king whose birth had been heralded by a sign in the heavens. They naturally went to Jerusalem, expecting to find the newborn king in the royal palace. But they found only an ignorant and arrogant King Herod, who was greatly disturbed to hear about the birth of a new monarch.

Herod attempted to use the magi to find the newborn king, and when his plot was thwarted, he unleashed a bloody massacre, ordering the death of all the infants and toddlers in Bethlehem. He exploded in anger and violence at the thought of another king coming on the scene. The throne was his, and he was willing to go to any lengths to keep it.

We are rightly appalled at Herod’s barbarous actions. Yet his hostile response to Christ is not unusual. While few react with Herod’s savage violence, many cling just as tightly to the throne of their lives, and refuse to submit to another ruler. They are unwilling to give up control of their lives, and insist on being their own boss. To them, the coming of Christ is not good news, and they don’t want to hear it.

Now consider the Bethlehem innkeeper. When Joseph and Mary came to his door, he sent them away. Presented with the opportunity to host the birth of the Messiah, the Savior of the world, he could find no room to accommodate Him.  When God paid him a visit and knocked on his door, the innkeeper left Him outside.

Unlike Herod, the innkeeper harbored no hostility to Christ. It was just that he was busy dealing with all the demands of the many pilgrims in town, and his inn was already full. Too bad, but that’s life.

Many today are like the innkeeper. Christ has come near, but they are too busy to give Him much thought. Their lives are already full with work, family, friends, hobbies, TV, internet, etc. and there just isn’t any room for Jesus. Preoccupied with all the tasks on today’s “To Do” list, they aren’t even aware that Christ is waiting on the outside looking in.

But now consider the shepherds. When the angel gave them the news of Christ’s birth, the shepherds wasted no time in debating what to do: How do we know the angel is telling the truth? Is now the best time to go? What about our sheep? No, they immediately set off to find Him. You don’t get a message from heaven every day, and when you do, you’d best respond right away.

The shepherd rejoiced at the news that a Savior and King had been born for them. They went to find Jesus, and when they found Him, they worshipped Him.

The news of Christ’s birth still rings out, and reaches us where we are. The key question is this: How shall we respond?

 

Day 19, Advent 2011

NAMES

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

The naming of a child is a significant event, with lifelong repercussions. In Oriental societies, much thought is given to the meaning of the characters in a child’s name, and sometimes priests or fortune-tellers are consulted. In America, some parents name the child after a relative or ancestor or celebrity, while others simply choose a name that sounds cool or trendy.

In ancient Near East cultures, and particularly in Scripture, a person’s name was thought to signal some truth about his nature, and names were sometimes changed to reflect life-altering events (see Genesis 32:28, John 1:42).

We can be sure that God’s selection of a name for his incarnate Son was no random choice. The angel gave Joseph explicit instructions: “You shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). The name expresses the purpose for which the Son of God came into the world. Whenever the name Jeshua (Jesus is the Greek form) was spoken, it would sound as if the speaker were saying “he will save” in Hebrew.

But a single name cannot express all that Jesus is and does. In prophesying the birth of the Messiah, Isaiah mentions several additional names which reflect the nature and work of Christ.

Wonderful Counselor – Jesus displayed wonderful wisdom in his debates with the learned rabbis, in his simple but insightful parables of the kingdom, and in the profound and memorable teachings which penetrate the heart of all who hear them. But don’t let the stories about fish and farming fool you. Jesus is equally knowledgeable about nuclear physics and information technology. Through the wisdom of Christ all things in heaven and earth were created (compare Proverbs 3:19 and John 1:3). In Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).

Mighty God – Jesus displayed power of an unprecedented and superhuman nature in the mighty miracles He performed: calming the stormy seas, casting out hordes of demons, healing all manner of maladies, multiplying bread and fish, raising the dead to life. Exalted to the right hand of the throne of the Father, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to [Him]” (Matthew 28:18).

Everlasting Father – or “Father of Eternity.” There is no confusion here between the First and Second Persons of the Trinity. Rather, the name reflects the eternal existence and everlasting reign of Jesus, and presents Him as the One who secures eternal life and an everlasting kingdom for His people.

Prince of Peace – Jesus obtained for us peace with God by atoning for our sins (Romans 5:1). He achieved peace among all peoples by breaking down barriers and making us one in Him (Ephesians 2:14). He fills our hearts with peace no matter what the circumstances (John 14:27).

The child whose birth we celebrate at Christmas is all these things to us, and more. Christ has become to us “wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).

“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Prayer

Lord, thank you for giving us everything in Christ. He is all we need, and we are complete in Him. 

 

Day 18, Advent 2011

INCARNATION

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1, 14)

Two gospel writers record narratives of the birth of Jesus. Luke’s account is told from the point of view of Mary and Joseph, recounting the circumstances of their journey to Bethlehem and their lodging in a stable. Matthew’s account compares the differing response of wise stargazers and a foolish king to the reported birth of the Messiah.

In contrast to these, Mark dispenses with the preliminaries and begins his action-oriented gospel with the fiery preaching of John the Baptist.

John’s approach is different still. As befits his contemplative nature, he starts his gospel with a philosophical meditation on the incarnation of Christ. John calls Jesus the logos, a Greek term with broader and deeper meaning than the English “word.” John is saying that the rational, ordering principle behind the creation of the universe is none other than Christ Himself.

The universe is not a random jumble; it has form and order because of the work of Christ, who made it. John wants us to remember the account in Genesis chapter 1, in which God creates through His Word, and to appreciate the role of Christ in creation.

John is clear in ascribing divine status to Christ. Christ is uncreated and eternal, in union with God from the very beginning. He is not a part of creation, but the agent of all creation. He is God, and yet also “with God.” This only makes sense if we recognize a plurality of Persons in the Godhead. Both Father and Son are God.

Christ brought the light of divine truth and love into the world. The great and tragic irony is that the very world He made had become so dark that it was blind to who He was. The Jewish nation was schooled in the laws and ways of God, and taught to expect the Messiah. Yet He was rejected by the most learned and the most powerful, who failed to recognize Him.

But not all rejected Him! Illuminated by the Holy Spirit, some did recognize the light of God in Christ, and were drawn to it. These He welcomed to Himself, and infused with new life. Reconciled to the Father through the Son, they, too, became children of God.

The divine Light did not explode across the heavens in a dazzling flash, obliterating the sun and stars. No, the Light was concentrated into a tiny human embryo, implanted within a virgin’s womb!

The divine Word was not sung by an angelic chorus, echoed and amplified through the corridors of the cosmos. No, the Word was made flesh, of all things!

Why? The Light and the Word were sent to redeem and illumine fallen humanity. Therefore, they were put into a form familiar to us, a form we could relate to, a form like us. Because of Christ, the love of God is no longer just an abstract concept to contemplate; it is a Person to trust and adore.

The incarnation is truly a staggering doctrine. Muslims and Jews stumble at the thought of God becoming human, because they more than others understand the power, majesty and transcendence of the Sovereign Lord. But as Christians realize, the miracle of the incarnation reveals also the grace, love and humility of God, and only adds to His glory.

Take a close look at the babe wrapped in those swaddling clothes. Take time to consider anew who He is, and what He has done. And marvel.  

PRAYER

Lord, my mind cannot grasp the concept of you as a baby! I have only the barest understanding of the incarnation, but I know enough to marvel at this greatest of all miracles. Glory to the newborn King!

 

Day 17, Advent 2011

SURPRISE

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:8-12)

Some people just don’t have the patience to wait until Christmas to find out what is in the presents under the tree. They are always picking up the packages, shaking them, listening to them, feeling size and weight and shape, trying to guess what is inside. Some even go so far as to open them surreptitiously and re-wrap them so no one will be the wiser!

But most of us like surprises. Part of the fun of opening gifts is the excitement of discovering the secret treasures hidden inside those tantalizing packages!

When God presented us with the gift of salvation, He did it in unexpected ways. On that first Christmas night, there were surprises at every turn.

To whom did the momentous announcement of Christ’s birth come? To shepherds in the field, common laborers doing simple work. Men of no special achievement, rank or skill, they nevertheless found themselves included in the divine purposes. An angel appeared to them right there in the field, turning their regular workplace into a sacred site where the glory of God was displayed. Now that was indeed a surprise!

At first the shepherds did not welcome this emissary from heaven, for he bore little resemblance to the sweet-faced cherubs depicted on greeting cards or the friendly angelic mascots for sale in Christian bookstores. No, the heavenly host is made up of fearsome warriors more terrifying than anything dreamed up by Hollywood for the silver screen.

The next surprise was the message delivered to the shepherds. They could have expected a sentence of divine wrath and judgment upon their sins, to be carried out by this imposing messenger from beyond. But no, he was bringing good news: a Savior is born – for them! They themselves were to be the blessed recipients of God’s favor!

But that’s not all. There’s another surprise in the sign they are to look for: a baby in a manger. What’s that again? Almighty God entering the world in the form of a helpless infant? The eternal plan of God culminating in the birth of a child? The greatest miracle ever conceived lying in a manger? Exactly.

Ready for another surprise? The true Christmas tree is no pine, spruce or fir. It is an old, rugged cross, upon which hung Heaven’s Treasure, the greatest gift ever given to humanity: Christ the Savior, Sin-Bearer and Life-Giver.

And one final surprise: this gift of love is addressed to you! “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Christ the Lord.”

Have you received God’s greatest gift?

PRAYER

Lord, you are indeed a God of surprises, and we marvel at your ways! I open my heart to receive your gift to me: Christ, my Savior and my Lord.

 

Day 16, Advent 2011

REDEEMED

 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:4-7)

God sent forth his Son into the world. Why?

God had given His holy commands to humanity with great fanfare, as a wonderful gift. Keeping the Law would make a person righteous, and a society just. Obedience to God’s decrees would bring blessing, and set them on the pathway to life and heaven.

Unfortunately, people failed to keep the Law. Their disobedience brought a curse, and set them on the road to death and hell. But Jesus came as our Redeemer and Representative. He took the curse and its punishment upon Himself, setting us free. And His perfect obedience re-opened the path to life and heaven for us all.

The Son of God was born into the world as a man, so that men and women could be reborn as children of God. Jesus came down to our level, in order to lift us up to His. Jesus laid aside all the privileges and prerogatives of Heaven, in order to make them available to us.

Jesus came as a servant, in order that we might be more than servants. Jesus entered into our poverty, so that we could share His inheritance. Jesus was made like us, so that we could be made like Him.

The sacrifice of Christ brought about the definitive end of sin. A human sacrifice was necessary, because humanity was guilty, and humanity must pay the price. But a perfect, spotless sacrifice was necessary, or else it would be tainted and unacceptable to God. As the perfect man, only Christ could fill the role.

The sacrifice of Christ includes more than His death on the cross. From birth onward, His whole life was offered up to please God and serve humanity. From day one He held nothing back as His own, but freely laid down His life as a fragrant offering to the Father and a ransom for us. His sacrificial death on the cross was the culmination of His sacrificial life.

Most of the Jews of Jesus’ day were expecting a Messiah who would deliver them from bondage to their enemies, restore their political freedom, and ratify their status as God’s chosen people. Instead, Jesus came to deliver them from bondage to sin, restore their spiritual freedom, and grant them a new status as God’s adopted children.

This Savior comes to free us from everything that binds and oppresses: from destructive habits and addictions that control our lives; from chains of guilt and remorse that weigh us down; from unhealed wounds in our hearts that continue to ache and fester; from crippling fears that prevent us from fulfilling our potential; from self-centered desires and ambitions that lead us nowhere.

This Savior comes to redeem us from sin and all its devastating effects. He is worth celebrating!

Prayer

Lord, thank you for sending your Son into the world to redeem me from my sin, to set me free and to welcome me into your family! 

 

Day 15, Advent 2011

GIFTS

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1, 2, 11)

The stargazers in the Orient were monitoring the heavens, hoping to detect omens of what was to happen on earth. Scripture warns us against consulting astrologers and fortune-tellers, for our fate is in the hands of God, and we are to seek His direction for our lives. But God graciously put a sign in the heavens to herald the birth of Christ, knowing that the magi would be wise enough to understand its meaning. Christ was born as their Savior, too!

The magi received the sign with faith, and responded with action, setting off to find the newborn King. Contrast their attitude with that of King Herod, who had no clue what was going on. It was only when these foreign travelers told him the news that he bothered to investigate the Scriptures concerning the birth of Christ. And to Herod the news was not welcome. He wore the crown, and he was not ready to pass it to another King.

For reasons of his own, Herod pointed the travelers in the right direction, and God led them to their goal. Upon their arrival, they had no trouble recognizing the object of their search: the heart knows the One it seeks. How then did they respond? With worship.

Worship is the only proper response to meeting Christ. A recognition and appreciation of His supreme worth naturally issues in praise and adoration. As the wise men demonstrate here, worship involves giving: in response to the heavenly treasure we receive from God in Christ, we willingly offer up our own earthly treasures.

The gifts they brought speak prophetically of Christ’s ministry and mission. Gold, precious metal of royalty, befits the majesty of the King of kings; frankincense, an ingredient in the temple perfume, represents the ministry of the Great High Priest; and myrrh, a burial spice, points to the sacrificial suffering and death of the Lamb of God.

God places such a high value on worshipping hearts that He was willing to provide a cosmic signpost to lead pagan astrologers to Christ. Many people today seem to be waiting for another sign from heaven before they are willing to believe in God at all. Yet the heavens never cease to declare the glory of God: for those with eyes to see, all stars point to Him.

Open and seeking hearts will find signs everywhere directing them to Christ. All who have a desire to pursue the truth can count on God to lead them.

The custom of exchanging gifts at Christmas time commemorates the gifts presented to Christ by the magi from the east. As we emulate their act of giving, let us also follow their example of worship. In the midst of all the holiday activities, let us pursue Christ with the same single-minded determination and joyful anticipation we see in these wise men. Worship Christ, the newborn King!

PRAYER

Lord, help us to see all the signposts in our world and in our lives that point to you. Help us to seek you above all else, and to worship you with all our hearts.