Exceeding Great Joy

Monday, December 13, 2010
Listen to this devotional:

Matthew 2:1 – Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. (KJV)

Matthew 2:9 – When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. (KJV)

In Matthew's gospel, we have a mere capsular account of one of the most miraculous happenings in the history of mankind and the world. Not only did a new star appear in the heavens at the precise moment in time to announce the birth of a new King of the Jews, but the star also directed the footsteps of the seeking wise men to the very place where the Christ Child was living with His parents. Little is recorded regarding the utterly amazing actions of the new star. It appears that they may not have seen the star all the way on their journey to Jerusalem, and they may have become discouraged, because when they left for Bethlehem and "saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy".

At this time of year, we may become discouraged when we consider our present situation, in comparison with the good memories of the past. We may foresee only gloomy happenings for storage in our memory banks. Sometimes, as our world closes in on us, we may feel that we are lost in a deep well of loneliness, and as the darkness of despair gathers around us, we cannot see any light. But even in our most unhappy moment, let us, as the wise men did of old, lift up our eyes to discover the star of Bethlehem shining brightly in our darkness. Let us allow Him to lead the way to the joys of this season, so that in years to come, we shall look back and remember Christmas 2010 was a year to cherish and indeed to remember!

2 Corinthians 4:6 – For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (KJV)

Prayer: Our gracious heavenly Father, nothing is impossible with You! Where we see the impossible with our natural eyes, You bring about the possible. May family members and friends who have been silent over the years because of some misunderstanding reach out to each other to add to the miracle of the Christmas season. Indeed, may the gift of reconciliation be one of the greatest joys of this Christmastide. Thank You, Father, for Your great gift to fallen mankind: the gift of Your Son and our Saviour Christ Jesus. Amen.

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About the author:

Vena Poole
(deceased)

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