Contrary to popular belief and most Nativity sets, the wise men were not at the birth of Jesus. In fact, since it probably took them a couple of years to travel to see Him, He was likely a toddler when they arrived. Nevertheless, they left whatever they were doing in their own homelands and traveled far away, not knowing where they were going, but following a star to the place of the Messiah.

My big takeaway from the visit of the Magi is that they were willing to leave things behind and press forward towards where God was leading them. They didn’t make excuses or try to find a replacement, they just went and did what God called them to do. How often do I drop what I am doing and listen to God’s voice and immediately obey? I would guess that my answer would have to be almost never. First of all, I do not hear God’s audible voice very often and when I do, it is usually for wisdom or comfort, not instructions to do something. I would like to think that if God told me specifically to do something, I would, but I just don’t know and I don’t exactly trust myself to act quickly when God says to. Thus, I really admire the Magi who did act quickly, perhaps even spontaneously, to follow God’s plan.

My word for this year is “listen” and I am hoping and praying to hear more from God this year. My busy life has settled into a routine of household chores, reading and reviewing books along with daily devotional time. But I am willing and ready to hear from God. I would like to hear from my readers, too. Has God ever told you to do something and you acted on it? How did it turn out for you? After all, we all have a purpose and are part of God’s plan, so we need to be attentive for when He is calling on us to help carry out the plan.

We Three KIngs-Reawaken Hymns