Following the Star
Read Matthew 2:9-12
Today’s Truth
On a morning with a cloudless sky and a gentle offshore breeze, I was surfing with some friends when a pod of dolphins started swimming and jumping all around us. Some of the dolphins were so close I could reach out and touch them. Feelings of awe, joy, and some fear rose up in all of us.
When I’m feeling stuck or I’m praying for God to speak. I go into creation and try to listen better and notice God.
Consider the magnitude of Christ’s Incarnation. This news was so big it took prophets to foretell it, angels to declare it, and stars in the heavens to proclaim it. This was a message of universal impact and the universe itself was responding. As the psalmist declares, the “heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.”
Of course, as part of creation, the magi heard the message and responded. In fact, there is a poetic reciprocity with the gifts they bring to Jesus. Gold, frankincense, myrrh. These are gifts based in creation, developed with human creative expression, and then given back to the One who was there as God created in the beginning.
In this season of Advent, perhaps a way we can engage in a more full expression of worship is to take time and notice, the ways creation continues to proclaim God’s glory. The question becomes, do I have the eyes and ears to notice?
Discussion Questions
- Is there a way you can engage with God’s creation today?
- As you do so, in what ways might the created world also be anticipating the arrival of Christ?
Application
I praise you Father, for you are our Almighty Creator. I thank you Jesus, for your presence and promised return. Guide me Holy Spirit as I long for my life to join in with all of creation in proclaiming your glory.
