“After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” 
– Matthew 2:9-10


A star. There are millions of them in the sky. I remember one night in Central America when there were no artificial lights for miles and miles, and the night was crystal clear. I was blown away by the incredible number of stars I could see that night, but for some reason, one star stood out from the others. It made me think of the star in the Christmas story.


Read Matthew 2:9-10. There was something about that one star guiding the wise men to where Jesus was born. What do you think it looked like? Was it a different shape? Was it brighter than the rest? Something was different. Something made it stand out among millions of others. I like to think that this star stood out because God had given it a purpose. Its purpose was to be different. And it was different enough to grab the wise men’s attention and direct them to Jesus.


There are over 8 billion people in our world. Sometimes, I’m very aware that I’m just one among those billions. I bet you feel that, too. The difference is that we have been given a purpose. We have a reason to shine brighter and be bolder than many others because Jesus told us to be salt and light. We’re called to stand out, be different, and guide others through the darkness to where Jesus is.


Some people shine bright and only bring attention to themselves, but we have the opportunity to be a light that points others to God. The world can be a dark, cold place, but God has given you the purpose of leading people through that darkness and to His Son, Jesus.


QUESTIONS:


What about the star's appearance do you think made it stick out from the others?


What unique qualities has God given you that you could use to point people toward Jesus?