“When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.” (Matthew 2:1b NCV)
Searching for truth isn’t a part-time job. It takes everything you have. The Wise Men teach us this in the Christmas story.
The Wise Men were willing to go to any length to find truth. Matthew 2:1 says,
“When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem”(NCV). We can assume that the Wise Men traveled many miles from the Far East to the Middle East at great expense to find Jesus.
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which is just six miles from Jerusalem. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Jerusalem was the spiritual center of the world. All kinds of spiritual activity was taking place in Jerusalem. All of the major religious leaders of the world were in Jerusalem, but none of them were seeking Jesus. Only people on the outside — the Wise Men from a completely different culture — were looking for Jesus.
King Herod missed baby Jesus. So did the business leaders of Bethlehem. You, too, can have Jesus right in your midst and still miss him if you’re not looking for him.
But the Wise Men looked for Jesus. They were willing to make a four to five-month trip across a scorching hot desert to find Jesus. They were serious about seeking God. They were willing to do whatever it took to find him.
That’s wise. It’s what we need to do as well. We can’t let anything get in the way of our search for God. It’s the most important achievement in the world.
Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl that is so valuable we will sell everything we have to get it. It seems the Wise Men from the East understood this long before Jesus ever spoke the parable.
The Wise Men were willing to give up everything they had to worship Jesus. They were willing to give up the comforts of their homes for a long, tough journey because they had the right motive in searching for Jesus. They wanted to worship him.
What would you give up in order to worship Jesus?
Talk It Over
- What is the most difficult thing in your life to give up in order to seek Jesus whole-heartedly?
- What holds you back from seeking Jesus with complete abandon?
- What makes a relationship with Jesus so valuable that it’s worth giving up everything for?
Go to the Place of Blessing
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:
"Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan."
1 Kings 17:3, ESV
TODAY'S WORD:
In the scripture, the prophet Elijah was living in a certain city. God said to him, “Leave this place and go down to the brook Cherith for I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” When he got to the brook, every morning just like clockwork, the ravens brought him food. He had his provision; a prepared blessing. Here's the key. Elijah didn't have to try to find the ravens. He just had to get to where God wanted him to be and the ravens found him.
In the same way, there is a place where God has commanded you to be blessed. The ravens are already there – your provision, favor, abundance. The real question today is will you do what's required to get to your place of blessing? Elijah could have said, “God, I don't want to leave. I’m comfortable. I like it here. My friends are here.” But if he had stayed, he would have missed where he was commanded to be blessed.
Are you willing to do what God is asking you to do today? Listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit inside, follow His leading, and enter into the place of blessing!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father, thank You for leading me to a place of blessing. Thank You for sustaining me and empowering me to fulfill Your call on my life. I choose to follow Your leading so that I can be in the place You’ve called me to in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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