The "STAR" of Christmas

I would like to share a portion of the letter that I sent to our church family on Wednesday. I truly believe that God is calling us to revisit the message of Christmas revealed in the Bible. It is so easy to become captured by certain elements of the story or even the characters of the story. But God was sharing with us more than a story. He was revealing the message of LIFE to each of us and this message would be housed in the earthly and heavenly life of Jesus Christ. It is no wonder that the heavens were filled with the glory of God at the time of the birth of Jesus!!

Matthew 2:9-11, “When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (NKJV) (Emphasis Added)

The ability as well as desire to "rejoice" began to resonate in my heart as I thought about the Greatness and Goodness of God. It is not always easy to rejoice as we travel the road of life. Each of us have faced or we are facing difficulties in our lives. We go through various "up and down" moments which can turn our "rejoicing into mourning" very quickly. But when we choose to focus on the "star" of God's goodness we can begin to reverse the process of our thinking. The Spirit of God can turn our "mourning into rejoicing."

The men in the passage of Matthew are often referred to as "wise men." Many Bible scholars believe that these travelers were astrologers from the East who saw the star which led them on their journey of discovery. Their journey of following the star led them to the house where Jesus was located. The Bible references Jesus as the "bright and morning star." The impact of the presence of Jesus even as a "baby" led them to fall down and worship the Savior of the world.

Let us choose to worship as we identify the "star" of God's Goodness in our lives. I would like to encourage each of us to take a moment and look around at the "star" of God's Goodness in our lives. Let me share a few things that I have pondered this morning. "How many times will I breathe today? How many times will my heart beat today? How many times will I get up and walk across the floor today? How many times will I drink clean and fresh water today? How many meals or snacks will I eat today? How many people has God placed in my life that love and care about me?" I encourage you to make you own list as you take time to notice the "star" of God's Goodness.

EACH OF YOU ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE "STAR" OF GOD'S GOODNESS IN THE LIVES OF MANY PEOPLE!!!  YOUR LIFE IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD!!!