"A star will come out of Jacob ..." – Numbers 24:17

A few years ago while visiting Yosemite National Park my wife and I stood outside gazing up into the night sky. A night sky looks totally different in the middle of nowhere than in the city. In the pitch darkness, stars take on new sparkle. The Milky Way lives up to its name ─ a blur of spilled milk coursing across the heavens.    I might not have noticed the star that heralded the coming of the Christ. But the Magi, those Gentile astronomers and seers of the ancient world, were familiar with every corner of the night sky.
Yet how effective are the stars for predicting the future? Not very. Those who believe that the position of the stars at their birth determines their future are sadly mistaken. Astrology is a false religion. The star at Jesus' birth, however, was not a matter of astrology but prophecy. "I see him, but not now ... A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel."
It was a Gentile seer (or magus) named Balaam who delivered that prophecy. He originally intended to do great harm to Israel. But God turned curse into blessing. Balaam spoke a prophecy that would one day lead a small community of Gentile seers to the Christ child.
The prophecy on the page pointed to the star in the sky. Those who search the Scriptures still make amazing discoveries concerning the work of God.

REFLECTION

What amazing discoveries have you recently mined from the depths of Scripture? Have you been able to apply those discoveries to your life as a child of God?

Prayer

Lord, forgive our neglect of your Word. May Christ’s Spirit bring us to your ancient Scriptures so that they speak with fresh power to us today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

PRAYER REQUESTS FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 18TH, 2011

For All Those Traveling This Christmas Season

FOR THOSE IN NEED OF THE LORD’S COMFORT

John Carby: [friend of Jim and Debbie Haswell] who passed away on Monday, December 12th.

How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. – Psalm 84:1-2

All For Jesus
Paul Nickel
Director of Christian Education
Our Savior Lutheran Church