Wise men know Joy

Today's scripture

". . . and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him." (Matthew 2:9b-11a)

Today's word

The three wise men traveled a considerable distance to see the great king whose arrival the Bible foretold would be heralded by a bright star shining in the east. When they found Him, they rejoiced exceedingly. The Bible says they had "great joy."Those men were so happy they couldn't hide it. In fact, God warned them in a dream to take the long way home to avoid being seen by Herod's men. Can you imagine that one look at their faces, and Herod would have known that they had been in the presence of the Messiah?How about you? Can people tell by looking at your face that you have met Jesus? Let this be an encouragement to you to smile more, especially during this Christmas season. Don't allow the pressures and busyness of the holidays to steal your joy. Let those around you – your family, your friends, and those who don't know Jesus – see Him in your face. Your smile is contagious, and the outward expression of your joy will bring glory to God.The angel declared; "I bring you good tidings of great joy." Let your face, and your heart, reflect the real joy of Christmas.

A prayer for today

God, how can I not smile and feel complete joy in the presence of Your spirit? I am going to stay focused on the reason for this season. I will bask in the glory of the Christ child's birth and to share my joy with those around me. In Jesus' name, Amen.