As we move through these days just after Christmas, I think of the Magi who moved across the desert lands toward the new king they wished to worship. I often wonder what they thought about as they made the slow and probably arduous journey. Were they excited? Were they travelling in reverent determination? Did they even realize who this king REALLY was?
There is great debate about the wise men themselves. We have no Biblical evidence as to their number, but tradition has it that there were three (possibly because they brought three different gifts.) Some early scholars thought there to be as many as twelve Magi who travelled to honor the tiny human king. And no one really knows exactly who they were and what country/countries they came from. But no matter the number, their identity, or their origin, in reading Matthew 2 we DO know that they were determined and perseverant. We know that as they presented their gifts, they fell down to worship Him. And, they listened to God rather than men since they chose to follow the instruction from a divine dream not to return to Herod and reveal the child's exact location. So despite the mystery surrounding these men, these are three things we can take away from their story that will guide us in our pilgrimage to honor the King of Kings.
Take a Five Minute Walk with God
Take some time today to walk and talk with God and imagine the journey of the wise men toward Bethlehem. With each step you take, ask Him to give you the qualities we see in the Magi, and then thank Him for being a king worth seeking.