“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him.” (Matthew 2:1-2,9-11a KJV)
The wise men saw a new star in the east, and they knew from the teachings of Daniel that it signified the birth of the King of the Jews. What excitement it must have caused them to travel — so far from Babylon to Jerusalem! They met with Herod as the local head of state, thinking that the newborn would be his son. They continued to Bethlehem, following, following, following the star on its journey to Jesus, the King of all people. It was a new beginning, the dawn of a new era. They realized the significance and worshipped Him. They were believers in hope, all because they followed a star.
In our galaxy, the sun is the star nearest to us. Every single day, it rises in the east at dawn to usher in a new day with new beginnings. No matter how difficult the previous day may have been, dawn brings new hope. Even better hope comes through Jesus, Who is referred to as the sun of righteousness:
“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.” (Malachi 4:2 NIV)
Perhaps leaping like a calf is hard to imagine for some readers who may never have seen calves. Maybe playing like a kitten, or bouncing like a puppy would be easier to identify with, or maybe squealing like children just released from school. Are you smiling at the unbridled excitement and enthusiasm? In any case, imagine the pure joy that believers will feel when Christ returns! Just as the day takes time to unfold, the days of Jesus are taking time to unfold. Two thousand years have passed, and still, we wait for the rising of the sun on yet another new era. We wait for Christ’s return. Just as the night is darkest before the dawn, the current times may be bleak, but the new dawn will bring a new day, and Jesus will come again to bring the brightest day ever!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we wait in hope for the dawn of the new era when Christ will return. Only You know when that will be, but we pray for Your help in preparing for that glorious day. Each day, may the rising of the sun remind us of the faith journey of the wise men as we make our own faith journeys. In hope, we pray. Amen.
Copyright © 2022, by Mary Ellen Miller <mem1955@sympatico.ca>, first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca
Hillsburgh, Ontario, Canada
Used with the permission of PresbyCan and author.
