MATTHEW 2:1-2

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

TO PONDER

It often amazes me how God seems to go to great lengths at times to get the attention of certain individuals. He knows we all respond to different kinds of messages. He sent angels to the shepherds, but announced the birth of Jesus to this group of magi by placing a new star in the sky. They saw the star and somehow, according to their ancient wisdom and arts, knew what it meant.

I remember an old school friend of mine telling me how, as a young child, he had come to believe that God answers prayers. One day as he was playing in the sandpit in their family's backyard. He decided that his experience in the sand pit would really be enhanced if he had a Tonka Truck, to move the sand around. As he had no money of his own and felt sure his parent were not likely to respond positively to this request, he turned to God in prayer, as many young children do. Less than a minute later, a Tonka Truck bulldozer appeared to fall out of the sky. What an answer to prayer!?

What my friend didn't realise at the time was that his dad was up on the roof of their garage cleaning out the gutters and found this truck that my friend's older brother had owned and thrown up their months earlier. It was only years later that he heard the truth of the story.

While we might laugh at a story like this, God used that situation to spark faith in my friend at a very young age.

You might feel at times like your attempts at sharing Jesus with others are uninspiring, or ineffective. However, If God can use a 'miraculously' appearing Tonka Truck to spark faith in the life of one of His children, He can surely use you. In fact, when he asks you to share his message, he knows that you are the exact right voice in the exact right place that will engage the ear and grab the attention of those he is calling to himself.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, please help me to remember that you are the one who calls people to faith. Help me to trust that when you call on me to share the Good News of Jesus, that you do in fact know what you are doing and that you will use my meagre efforts to bring about your saving grace in the lives of others. Amen

Today's devotion written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle