This is post #20 in the Christmas devotional “Christmas Joy.”Read more devotionals by Mel Lawrenz.
They went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. – Matthew 2:9-10
In Psalm 19, David gives voice to the stars:
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Vss. 1-4)
If you have ever stood outside at night and looked up at the canopy of stars, away from the city, away from noise, you may have seen that the stars have a message. In silence they speak, and their voice is thunderous.
The star of Bethlehem, a sign in the sky noted by the Magi, may have been a miraculous event, matching the miraculous entry of the Savior into the world, or it may have been a natural astronomical phenomenon, used by God as a sign. In either case, the heavens were speaking in a unique way about a unique world-changing event. Should that come as any surprise?
But note that only the observant recognized the sign, and in this case, they were outsiders. God drew outsiders toward Bethlehem with a word that he had placed in the sky. Don’t ever doubt that God is speaking to the “outsider,” and that those who seek will find. Christmas is both for believers, and for those who have yet to come to faith. In those days, it was a celestial sign that attracted the attention of outsiders. Today, there are many signs that Jesus accomplished something unique in the world, acts arise out of and point to his holy character.
Prayer for today:
Lord, thank you for putting your clear markers into this world and into our lives so we can know that you are real, and what you intend to do. May this Christmas be a new marker for me.
What has been the most spiritually influential experience in your life? See the survey HERE.
