Wise Men Still Seek Him

"When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with
their flock, The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost, To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry, To release the prisoner, To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others, To make music in the heart"
- Howard Thurman, author, philosopher, theologian, educator, civil rights leader

Christmas is a time when we think about the Wise Men embarking on their journey to Bethlehem ... even though Christmas Day has come and gone, as the quote above states ... the work of Christmas continues.

WISDOM:   knowledge and the capacity to use it; discernment and judgment; discretion.
EMBARK:   to make a start, such as embarking on a new career.
JOURNEY:   travel or passage from one place to another, such as the passage from youth to maturity.

Every journey must begin somewhere and a good place to start is by asking ourselves, “Where does our wisdom come from?” AND “How can we use our wisdom to bring glory to Christ?”

Julia Bettencourt, one of my favorite writers of small group devotions, opened her devotion titled "What to Know” with the following statement. “When my oldest daughter was in school she would always get frustrated and ask, when will I ever need to know this in real life?”  I remember asking myself that very same question many times, especially in my teenage years.  When I was growing up, my wisdom came from teachers, pastors, mentors, and my parents – so I associated being wise with older people. Perhaps we embark on a journey of growing in wisdom, long before we become aware of the journey itself.

Over the years, I continued to gain knowledge - from my peers, co-workers, and life’s everyday experiences. As I look back now, I realize that at times I was seeking wisdom from all the “circumstances” and everyone but God.

It was about 15 years ago when I first heard the words of what has become one of my favorite praise songs, and that is when my journey for wisdom changed focus. The song is called, “Seek Ye First” and was written by Karen Lafferty. The words of the song are based on Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Hearing the lyrics today remind me of the story of Solomon. More than anything else, Solomon asked for wisdom so that he could be a wise ruler of God’s people. He sought God first, and God not only granted him wisdom but blessed his life in many ways. Wisdom may not bring all of us power, riches or a long life, but living a life of constantly seeking God’s wisdom will keep us on the path of righteousness. Scripture tells us, “I love all who love me. Those who search will surely find me” (Proverbs 8:17).

As we acquire knowledge, we gain protection by being able to make wise choices between good and evil. We also learn more about our vocation and gain a better understanding of God’s will for our lives. And most importantly, we gain discernment and sensitivity for loving God’s people in a bigger way. Maybe that is why the Apostle Paul constantly reminded the early church of the importance of being wise.

Some of you may be thinking that you are already wise. I say to you, “Is the search over?  Are we ever wise enough?” The answer may be found in a quote by Georg C Lichtenberg, “One’s first step in wisdom is to question everything – and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”

As I continue my journey I still question everything. Bit by bit, lesson by lesson, as I seek to know Him more and follow his ways, God still continues to grant me wisdom. I used to think that wisdom was something you acquired with age. Now that I am on the other side of young, I’ve come to realize that wisdom doesn’t have as much to do with age as it does with taking the journey to actively seek it.

If ever the day arrives when I “come to terms with everything,” I hope that I will finally be able to say that “I AM WISE.” Until that time ... the journey, and our kingdom work here on earth continues!

Seeking Him First.
God’s Peace, Donna Weaver

“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will

be counted among the wise.” – Proverbs 19:20