Thought to Ponder: Be wise- Seek God!

“Wise men…came…saying, ‘Where is He…?’”Mt 2:1-2 NKJV
Notice two things about the wise men: (1) Who they were. Astrologers. Jews considered astrology to be a counterfeit to true prophecy. Be careful; there are people whose lifestyles you may disapprove of, who are honestly seeking for God. So be gracious in your dealings with them. The Greek philosophers on Mars Hill had a pantheon of gods. Was Paul shocked or put off? No, he commended them for being willing to “grope” for God, adding, “He is not far from each one of us” (Ac 17:27 NKJV). Don’t jump to conclusions and write people off. In God’s eyes every weed is a potential rose and every loser is a potential winner. And you should be glad about that! (2) How far they traveled. They left their families and the comforts of home to travel hundreds of miles in order to find God. Their round-trip journey took two years, and ended in a Jewish village where they were cultural outcasts. Meanwhile, church leaders who had access to the prophecies of Christ’s birth wouldn’t expend the time and effort to check them out. We often quote Jeremiah chapter twenty-nine, verse eleven: “‘The plans I have for you,’ says the Lord…‘are plans for good…to give you a future and a hope.’” But don’t stop there, read on: “When you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me” (vv. 12-13 NLT). Poet Julie Carro wrote, “Now wise men still seek His face as they did in days of old; to give the Lord their hearts, more precious than silver and gold.” How far are you prepared to go in your search for God? (bob gass)