Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
I was profoundly blessed yesterday morning, on the 26th December, as I re-read the account of the wise men in Matthew 2:1-16 and learned again, the wise are the ones who persevere. The wise men’s journey to see the Messiah continued long after the celebration of His birth had occurred. I wanted to share my thoughts because Christmas might be over for so many people. But for a Christian, the pursuit of worshiping the Messiah face to face continues, long after others have forgotten about the joy of Christmas and moved on to everyday life. The wise men continued to follow the star that led them to worship Jesus face to face. And remember, God, the Father, kept showing it to them, and leading the way for their success. It was a long journey, according to Matthew 2:16, anywhere up to two years, and they arrived at the stable long the excitement Christ’s birth was over. Yes, Christmas might be over for many – but not for the wise! The wise will continue on their journey to see their Messiah, Jesus face to face, and worshiping at His feet – blameless and pure before Him.
When investigating the star that the Wise Men followed, I discovered it was the worthless prophet Balaam, who disobeyed God’s message who prophesized about “a star that will come out of Jacob” (Numbers 24:17). A Savior, the scepter of God who would crush our enemies. Balaam had intended to curse God’s people, but the victorious hand of God didn’t allow this to happen. It’s a bit like Judas. He betrayed the Lord Jesus for money. But it did not hinder God’s plan in the offering of a Savior for the world’s sins. No one can stop the plans of God. They will not fail. Herod tried to hunt down the child after hearing that the wise men had seen the prophesized star and had come to Jerusalem to find the Messiah. But again, God warned these men after they had seen their King not to report back to Herod, and they returned home another way.
The prophet tried to curse God’s people for money. Herod tried to murder the child that had come into the world to save people from their sins. There is much opposition to Christ. When praying about all of this, the Lord led me to read Colossians 4:3, a verse in Paul’s letter written in prison for his faith and service to Christ Jesus. Colossians 4:3 – “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” Christmas might be over to many. But it is never over for a believer in the pursuit of worshiping Jesus face to face. Today, we continue on our journey to physically meet Him. Our life’s mission and devotion are in the quest for this day when we will stand before Him blameless in our “mission accomplished” state because we have surrendered with the Word of God taken seriously.
I want to encourage you to today, dear friend, please pray for a door to be opened for me as I pray for you, to proclaim the mystery of Christ. Christ is a mystery to so many. It is a gift of God to have your eyes and ears opened to see clearly the message of Christ. It is the destiny of all people to hear and receive. But sadly, many will disobey that message of Christ or persecute the bringer of the good news. But it’s our mission to continue into 2021 and beyond.
Take courage, dear friends, and beloved brothers and sisters – nothing can hinder God’s heart and the truth from going forth. I wrote a song, “Truth is rising forth,” with these thoughts in mind. You can download it from my Website here – Link Truth is Rising Forth.
Let us keep praising the Lord Jesus in truth and praying for the harvest and an effective door to preach the gospel. The Wise Men knew the times, they saw the star prophesized long ago, and they were ready. Let us be prepared with our eyes fully open and let nothing stop us on our journey to meet our King.
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