The first time I ever flew was when I was in high school when my dad won a trip through his company to Breckenridge, Colorado. While we were there, daddy decided we would take a day trip to Pike’s Peak. This was before the day and age of GPS, so we used an old-fashioned map. Daddy had looked at the map and decided to take this one road because it would be a “short cut.” When we turned off the main road to take the “short cut,” the road had a sign that read,
“Travel at Your Own Risk.”
Did we take the road less traveled? Why yes we did!
I have only been carsick one time, and it was on the “Travel at Your Own Risk” road. It was so winding around the mountain. It was gravel and barely two lanes wide. It was the most treacherous road I have EVER traveled, and I promise you I will never take another road with that sign again.
Had we taken the main highways, we would have been there in three hours, but this short cut lead us to spend the night in a hotel. I don’t even remember seeing Pike’s Peak. I remember the journey in great detail though. Ha! Ha! Ha!
When I read about the wise men, I wonder many things about the journey. Like, who thought it was a good idea to follow a moving star? What did they tell their loved ones? "Honey, I'll be home in a year. I need to see where the star leads." Following the star means all their traveling was at night, so what was their accommodations during the day? How far away was the star from the magi every night when it appeared? Did they take off through fields to follow the star or did they stick to the main roads? Did they take short cuts? I'm really curious.
I don't know about you, but I always assumed the star appeared when Jesus was born. The first time we read about the star is with the wise men in Matthew 2:2. Then Matthew 2:9 says they saw the star in the east, and it led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. So the star may not have been in Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. It may have appeared in the east where the magi would see it, become curious, start researching and felt compelled to follow. The star moved so they could follow. How cool is that!?
You know what I love about this story? I love the fact God used a star to communicate to magi – those who studied astrology and black magic. God spoke to them in a way they could appreciate and understand. He met them where they were. He didn’t expect them Mary and Joseph to take Jesus to them. God drew them to himself.
And do you know when God planned to communicate to them through a star? From the very beginning!!!! Genesis 1:14, "Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night. They will serve as signs for festivals and for days and years." God knew He would be using the stars to communicate to us on earth. He knew He would use a star to connect the magi (Gentiles) to the Savior of the world. How cool is that?
From the very beginning of Jesus’ life He was reaching the Gentiles. Calling them. Drawing them to himself.
Who are you praying for this Christmas? Who in your life does God need to meet where they are? Who does God need to communicate to and draw them near? If God can use a star to communicate to black magic magi, He can use anyone and anything to reach the lost.
The star on top of your Christmas tree reminds us God once used a star to draw magi to a baby born and laying in wooden feeding trough who would die on a wooden cross for our sins. Point them to the star.