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.”
Matthew 2:1-2
Magi were interested in all things mysterious. Many were experts in astrology and how the stars might give portents of the future while others focused on magic, dreams, or prophetic books. Some were honestly seeking truth; others were less sincere. But I like to think that the magi who visited Jesus were sincere truth seekers. And there can be little doubt that they eagerly sought Him and went to great lengths to meet Him.
The Bible tells us the magi came from the East. It gives us no other details than that. Some speculate that they came from Babylon. There was a large Jewish settlement there which would explain how they came to know of the Jewish expectation of a coming Messiah. If they did come from Babylon, it would have been an 800 mile trip taking about 40 days for them to see Jesus. And that doesn’t even include all the time they spent trying to figure out what the star meant when it first appeared, or the time they spent preparing for the trip. All that to say, these men went to great effort to seek Jesus. Shouldn't you do the same?!
I want to encourage you to make a great effort to get to know Jesus in 2020. Eagerly seek Him. Might I suggest you start a Bible reading plan here at the beginning of the year? Reading God's word is one of the most important things you can do for your spiritual growth. Pick a translation that works for you and read it early in the morning, or on your lunch break or before you go to bed. Or get an Audio Bible and you can listen to the word of God on your phone or in your car. Many free Bible apps already come with a version of the Audio Bible. Find a way that works for you and do it. I promise, whether it is your first time through the Bible or your hundredth, you won't regret carving out the time to seek Jesus.
All throughout Scripture God promises to meet us halfway when we seek Him. In Matthew 7:7 Jesus says, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” And in James 4:8 we are told, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” So, what do you have to lose? Don't you think it is high time that you made a great effort to know God?! I do.
If you need a place to start, here's the plan I will be using this year. Bible Reading Plan 2020.
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