Matthew 2:1-2
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.”
Where is the One?
The wise men knew the general direction in which to head because of the star, but once they got there, they had to ask questions and look in unusual places until they found Him. I understand this was a very literal search. But yet in that question, “Where is the One…?” I hear echoed something many of us have probably asked at times as well, “God, where are You?” Maybe you’re even at a place right now, during the holidays, where you’re asking the same thing.
“Where are you Christmas, why can’t I find you…”
I remember several years ago, when I was about 26 years old, I was asking. I wanted to encounter God, I desperately needed and yearned to. Quite frankly, I had no where else to turn. And all I can say is that when I reached out, when I called out to Him, He responded. He made Himself known, and I discovered that He was there. In fact, He had been there all along.
“You shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
We often think God is afar off, but He is near, so very very near. Yes, He’s Omnipresent. God is naturally present in every aspect of the natural order of things, in every manner, time and place. But He’s also present in the sense that He makes Himself accessible to us so that we can experience Him and know He is with us. There’s no “formula” for how to find Him. If we will search, we will find. If we knock, He will answer. If we cry out, He will respond. If we ask, He will give us Himself. The only key is doing so with an earnest heart. Our hearts work like magnets that attract and pull us closer in His direction.
“Move your heart closer and closer to God, and He will come even closer to you…” James 4:8a TPT
This holiday season, don’t give up your search. And that probably means different things to different people. Maybe you’re looking for Him for the first time, or maybe you’re in a situation in which you can’t see Him right now. Maybe you need His direction and guidance. I just want to encourage you – keep looking. Keep searching. Keep asking. Keep knocking. He will make Himself known to you. But be willing to step outside your comfort zone. Like the wise men, be okay with asking questions and “knocking on some doors” you wouldn’t typically knock on. And know that if you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him.
Linda G Riddle 