Sitting beneath the stars, listening to a Christmas concert in the park, I listened to a choir singing “We Three Kings.”  The music soared sweetly into the air, and as I lifted  my eyes to gaze through the interplay of branches above, my mind drifted with the words of the song.  I thought about those three kings and the star they followed.  God had placed that star in the sky to lead them to the Christ Child. God knew where they were going, but the wise men didn’t. Nor did they know what they would actually see when they got to their destination. And yet they went.  I’ve never heard anyone say how long they actually traveled, but I wonder if they ever got weary. I wonder if they ever discussed the uncertainty of what they were doing day after day traveling on and on with no set destination.

As I stared up into the sky, I thought about many of my readers whose emails I receive regularly.  Many are on journeys that have no sure destination. But, still, they are pressing on, trusting God.  Often in these emails I see questions, wondering how long this journey will be and where it will ultimately lead.  Sometimes they express doubts . . . and questions . . . and fears.  Sometimes they want to give up.

Later as I read the story about the magi from Matthew again, I wondered if the three kings ever wanted to give up.

Losing Sight of the Star

At some point did they lose sight of the star?  Is that why they stopped in Jerusalem to ask King Herod, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?” If they still saw the star, why did they ask?  They didn’t say, “We see the star.  If you look over at such and such a place, you’ll see it.”  No, they said, “We saw the star in the east and have come to worship him.” And later when Herod talked to them secretly, his purpose was to find out “the exact time the star had appeared.”   (Matt 2: 2, 7 NIV)

Do you notice the past tense?   So what happened here? Did they no longer see the star?

Regardless of whether they did or not, the wise men continued to seek out answers.

There are times on our journey when we don’t see the star of hope we’re looking for either. We’ve lost our sense of spiritual direction and we don’t hear God telling us what to do. At times like this, the trip gets even harder and fear pulls us down.

As evil as Herod was and as bad as his intentions, there was one thing he did right. Herod sought out the chief priests and teachers of the law for counsel on what the scriptures said, and this counsel put the magi back on the right path. For as “they went on their way . . ., the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.” (Matt. 2: 9-10)

They were “overjoyed!” They weren’t lost.  Scripture’s prophesy that Bethlehem would be the birthplace of the king proved correct . . . for there was the star, pointing toward Bethlehem!  They were overjoyed!

Their journey was not in vain. They would indeed find the king they were looking for.

Finding Answers

When we can’t hear God’s voice and don’t feel him leading us in a particular direction, God quietly calls us back to His Word. Answers to our deepest needs lie in wait within the words of that Book, ready for our discovery. When we immerse our minds and hearts in the truth He wants us to see, it will lead us back to the star He has put before us. Hope will be born in us once more.

So many of us are traveling difficult roads, and the dark ambiguity of circumstances can sometimes overwhelm. When I see these questions from readers and recognize their anguish and pain, I want so much to be able to provide answers. But I can’t. No one but God can answer those specific questions about how long and what to expect at the end. But I can always assure them of one thing. And this goes for any of us who find ourselves on an unexpected journey that is not of our own choosing. Although the destination may be unclear and even a bit scary, if we continue to trust God to lead us and follow the star He puts before us, we are sure to find the Christ Child at the end of our journey.  The Lord is with us even now and will help us stay the course as we continue to lean on him from day to day.