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TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion Psalm 103:4, NIV. TODAY'S WORD: I know people who feel like they’ve wasted years of their lives because of poor choices. They spent years in a relationship that was toxic, years with an addiction, years at a job where they weren’t fulfilled. But you have to realize, nothing you have been through is ever wasted. Your past experiences, good and bad have deposited something on the inside of you. Those challenges have sharpened you to help make you who you are today. When the enemy brings hardship into your life, God has a way of taking that experience and turning it around for your advantage. You may think you’ve hit a dead end, but if you’ll stay in faith, you will see God begin to open up a new route. He’ll put the right people in your path, the right opportunities, the right circumstances to move you forward toward your God-given destiny. Today, don’t focus on what’s happened in your past, focus on what God will do in your future. He wants to restore your soul and revive your dreams. Keep believing, keep expecting, keep hoping because God has a new route for your future! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father God, I come humbly before You today. I give You my past, present and future knowing that You will redeem my life. I release those who have hurt me, I choose forgiveness so I can be free to move forward in the new route You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen. PS... |
“Where is the baby who was born to be the king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2a NCV)
Look at any nativity scene, and you’ll likely see one set of characters that doesn’t seem to fit in the barn: the Wise Men. We’ve become used to them, but if you look at the scene closely, they appear out of place with their fancy clothes and special gifts.
But to me, they’re the most fascinating people in the Christmas story. We don’t know much about them. We don’t know who they are or where they are from. The Bible calls them “magi.” Magi were a combination of philosophers, scientists, and astronomers. They were quite wealthy and well educated. But that’s really all we know about them.
But we know they were wise. In fact, we can learn a lot from the wisdom they display in the Christmas story.
Among other lessons from the Wise Men, we learn to be seekers of the truth. Wise people aren’t happy with guesses or speculation. They want to know the truth about God, their past, and their future. The Wise Men asked, “Where is the baby who was born to be the king of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2a NCV)
The Wise Men were seeking Jesus. Wise men and women still seek him today. There are two kinds of people in life when it comes to truth: speculators and seekers. Speculators make guesses about the truth. Speculators think they know what God is like.
Speculators love to argue and discuss God, but they’re just guessing — because they don’t really want to know the truth. They only want to talk about him.
On the other hand, God loves those who take the time to find the truth. Seekers do four things:
- They ask questions.
- They study.
- They watch what is happening around them.
- They do whatever it takes to find answers.
They seek after Jesus with all they have. God loves seekers. We should, too. The Bible tells us, “But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29 NIV).
If you are genuinely serious about discovering the truth, you can’t miss it.
God won’t let you.
Talk It Over
- Why is it wise to seek after Jesus?
- Looking back at your life, have you been more of a speculator or a seeker of truth? Why?
- Name a spiritual seeker in your life whom you can tell more about Jesus and invite to church. Pray for that person.
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