Wednesday, November 30, 2011

THE WONDER OF THE STAR

When you think of it, the star blazing in the sky that led the wise men to the new-born King of Kings, was a brilliant stroke of marketing.

With my first book out this year I’ve been learning a lot of about marketing. I also work for a marketing firm. No I’m not the executive that sits behind a great big desk. I’m one of those ladies in the grocery store handing out free samples of products. So I know all about solid advertising and false advertising.

Back to that star in the sky. A firey ball light years away. No small thing. God was sending to the world the greatest expression of His love for mankind.

But really . . . was that false advertising?

King of Kings—how could that be when the babe was born in a stable? He didn’t grow up in a palace. The red carpet was never once thrown down for him to walk upon. Although a few coats were laid down for him one day.

The biggest rejection came when the people He’d come to save wanted to kill him.

I often think of Jesus’ mother at that moment. Did she stand at the bottom of that cross, looking up into the face of her dying son and think back to that star blazing at His birth? Did she wonder if all the promises God had made at the start of this son’s life come to nothing?

There are so many moments in life when our dream crash to our feet like broken glass. We may be ill, or someone we love is ill. Maybe we’ve lost the one we love. Or never had anyone to love us in the first place. Maybe we’ve lost a job . . . or a child. There are a million reasons to hurt.

When we’re hurting we can’t see what is beyond. We can’t see what God can do with that broken dream or broken heart. How he can turn things around if we trust Him.

On the day of Jesus’ death his mother Mary may very well have believed that star in the sky at His birth was false advertising.

But on the day of His resurrection—when He came back to life to be the King of Kings and savior of all who believe in Him—she knew for sure that God does keep His promises.

When God put that star in the sky all those years ago, it was not false advertising. That same God cares about you.

This Christmas as you look around you and spot a star—and you’ll see a lot of them this season---think of how much God the Father and God the Son keep their promises to love you forever.

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