Most of us are familiar with the Bible’s account of the wise men who came to see Jesus after His birth.  “We have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” they explained (Matthew 2:2, NKJV).  I’ve often wondered if anyone else saw the star.  Maybe it was there for all to see, but these wise men were the only ones who noticed or knew its significance.

It reminds me that I always need to keep my spiritual eyes open.  You see, I believe God is always speaking to us and trying to show us things.  Unfortunately, we don’t always notice if we’re not paying attention.  My prayer during this Christmas season has been to notice the things God is showing me.  I want to hear what He is speaking and learn what He is teaching me.

Later in Jesus’ life when He taught others, He would say, “He who has ears to hear, let Him hear!” (Matthew 11:15).  I don’t believe He was just talking about our physical ears; He was saying to tune in your spiritual ears.  We know there’s a big difference is hearing someone and truly listening to them.  Let’s make sure we’re truly listening to the Lord!

Indeed, I don’t want to miss what God is saying, what He is showing me, or the work He is doing.  Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem was an event that changed the course of history, yet few people took notice at the time.  A few shepherds and these wise men came to worship Him, but most people were oblivious to what happened in the humble stable.  Today, I don’t want to be one who is oblivious to the work of God. I want to be one who acknowledges His presence, and I know you do as well!

There’s no secret formula for hearing God’s voice; we just need to pay attention.  The wise men found Jesus, because they were looking for Him.  “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” they asked (Matthew 2:2).  The hundreds of other people in the region did not find Him, because they were not looking for Him.  Even today, we need to look for the Lord in our everyday lives.

God spoke these simple yet powerful words through the prophet Jeremiah: “You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).  There’s a popular saying we sometimes hear around Christmas time, “wise men still seek Him.”  And that is so true.  Men and women today are wise to seek the Lord above all else.  Indeed, Jesus taught His disciples not to worry about what they would eat or drink or wear, “but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

What does it really mean to seek the Lord?  Well, think about what you would do if you were seeking something precious to you like a lost wedding band or even a lost child?  You would engage your heart, mind, and body into your search.  You would think about where to look.  You would take purposeful action.  And you would have enough deep desire in your heart to keep looking until you found it.

In the same way, when we seek the Lord, we should engage our heart, mind, and body – everything we have – into finding Him.  Let’s be like the wise men and notice what God is trying to show us.  Let’s seek Him and follow Him with all our hearts!