“The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands will bring him tribute. The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him gifts” (Psalm 72:10, NLT).

While everything was working together in perfect timing with Caesar, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds, another move of God’s miracle timing was already in motion. Though the wise men (or Magi) would not reach Jesus until two years after his birth, their journey had already begun.

In Matthew, we see that there was miracle timing in their studying stars in the sky, discovering the star that would guide them, and traveling to Jerusalem in search of Him. And they did each of these things by faith in the prophecies. They could have ignored the signs, questioned them or refused to go. Yet everything was in miraculous motion, and they helped fulfill the prophecy.

This was not a small venture for the wise men. We know there were three gifts, so we assume there were three wise men, but there would have been a caravan of around 200 people who accompanied them along the way. Everything that needed to happen on time to fulfill the prophecies of the coming of Jesus required miracle timing. God is always NOW. He always takes care of the details behind the scenes.

The gifts offered by the Magi were significant in many ways. Gold was the Old Testament symbol of kings. In bringing a gift of gold to Jesus, they were proclaiming Him King. Frankincense was burned only by the High Priest of Israel. When the Magi offered this gift to Jesus, they were proclaiming Him to be their High Priest. Myrrh was an embalming oil, which symbolized their recognition that He was both God and Man and would be a sacrifice.

There was a miracle in the visit from the wise men and the timing of their gifts. In those days, frankincense and myrrh were worth as much or more than gold, and the amount of gold offered to a king would have been significant. Shortly after the wise men’s visit, Joseph, Mary and Jesus had to suddenly flee to Egypt, and God brought them all the provision they would need just in time for their journey.

Wise men always follow God because God’s timing really is perfect timing. And so continued the redemptive plan of God in the earth, full of miracles and supernatural timing…

Study

Wise Men Seek God’s Wisdom
“Wisdom is the principal thing…” (Proverbs 4:7, NKJV).

Live the Word
God’s Word is clear. Wisdom is the most important thing. It is the foundation for the life of a believer. Embrace the life of wisdom. Remember that it may look foolish to others, but as you seek wisdom, you will see the wisdom of God played out in your life.

Speak the Word

A Prayer for the Wisdom and Guidance of the Holy Spirit
Father, in the Name of Jesus, I realize that, as a believer, my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. My acknowledgment of Your presence every day makes my faith in You effectual. I believe that You, heavenly Father, are leading and guiding me by the Holy Spirit through my spirit, and illuminating my mind.

As I yield to the Holy Spirit, I believe that my steps are ordered of You, Lord. I commit and trust myself wholly to Your guidance, expecting You to cause my thoughts to become agreeable to Your will, so my plans will be established and succeed. I trust in You, Lord, with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding. As I acknowledge You, You direct me in paths of righteousness.

I confess that as I become more God-inside minded, I can more easily recognize the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. I hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, and a stranger’s voice I will not follow. I am aware that my spirit is the candle of the Lord.

I meditate in the Word day and night, not letting it depart from my mouth. I test my inward witness with the Word, for the Spirit and the Word agree. I am quick to act on the Word, as well as the prompting of my spirit. I am not a hearer only, but also a doer. Therefore, I am blessed in all my deeds.

Scripture Study: 1 Corinthians 6:19; Philemon 6; John 16:13; Romans 8:14, 16; Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 16:3, 3:5-6; Psalm 23:3; John 10:5, 27; Proverbs 20:27; Joshua 1:8; 1 John 5:7; James 1:25

Apply

The wise men of Jesus’ time opened their hearts to receive revelation from God, and then acted in faith on what He had revealed to them. That’s wisdom. Taking knowledge and allowing God to show you how to put it into operation is what the Magi were doing when they set out to seek Jesus—putting their knowledge into operation through God-given insight.

The Jews had their Messiah right in front of them, yet because of the hardness of their hearts, they did not seek Him or receive Him. The wise men were seekers of truth and did not allow customs, reasoning or objections from others to block their pursuit of it. So, what can we learn about wisdom from these “wise men”?

• Wisdom seeks truth from the Word of God where the truth is found. Study God’s Word intentionally on a hunt for His truth.
• Wisdom goes to great effort to find God—He must be first in your life. Every day, no matter what else happens, prioritize seeking God.
• Finally, wisdom obeys God rather than man—the wise men never returned to Herod, because they obeyed God. Trust God’s Word even when it goes against ‘common sense.’

Let the Word of God, the wisdom of God, begin to influence your thinking. God’s way of thinking will save your life, pull you out of debt and sickness, and put you on the road to prosperity in every area of your life. It will introduce you to possibilities you have never seen before and get you out of any trouble—just like it did for those wise men 2,000 years ago.

Click on the image below to download the PDF with the devotion and the craft activities related to Wise Men.