Which Star are You Following?

from Elliott
It was a challenging question posed by our Pastor today. He noted that the Wise Men came from the East and they were astrologers not the good Jewish folk of the area. But somehow God used them to celebrate the birth in Bethlehem. Perhaps, the local folks were not willing to hear God's whisper.

They followed a star to find the manger - representing hope for us Christ followers. It seems today that we have a choice of many stars to follow as we seek our future. So many seem so bright when we first gaze upon them but as we follow them many times they fizzle out or when we get to the destination we find that we were following the wrong one and there is no 'there' there. We must discern the difference between the fleeting and the eternal.

As you gaze into the night sky here in South Africa you can well imagine how one could physically follow a star but at the same time find it difficult to know which one. The stars are brilliant here especially in the rural area where we are. On a clear night there are so many in the sky, they light up the land below as if there was a full moon. As you gaze upon them you can imagine the magnitude of God's universe and the completeness of God's creation. There are literally thousands of them visible - each one different in their location, brightness and their relationship with the others.
 
God calls us to follow a star. His Word tells us which one to follow, how to pursue it and how to know that you have found your way when you get there.