The “three” wise men in scripture are often not given credit for anything but the gifts of worship they brought to Jesus. There is only one account of the Magi and that is in the gospel of Matthew. We are not told there were only three men, but we assume that because they offered three gifts.

How wise were these Magi?

First, they were wise to find their way to the Christ child and worship Him. They did not come to observe Jesus, stare at Jesus, or make judgments of what they thought of Jesus. These men set out on a journey to find the living Lord and bow before Him in worship. They, by faith, accepted that He was Jesus the Christ, the Son of God. With all the “wisdom” around us, the wisest thing one can ever do is to worship the Lord Jesus and offer our gifts to Him.

Second, these men were wise to listen to God and act based on what God communicated. God had provided a star so these fellows could find Jesus, and they took the time to follow the star. Later, God gave them a dream telling them to return home a different way. Herod intended to interrogate them, so he could find Jesus and kill him. The important thing is not how many sermons we hear or Bible studies we attend, but how much of that becomes action in our lives. We might know a lot, but that in itself is not wisdom. It is a wise man or woman who listens to God for direction and quickly puts it into action.

As I reflect on these wise men, I have purposed in my heart that I want to be a wise woman. The Bible tells of many wise people:

• There was Enoch and Noah who were wise enough to walk with God in their day while the world around them refused to live for God. Thus, they were both saved while others perished.
• There was Ruth who was wise enough to say to her Jewish mother-in-law, “…for where you go, I will go; and where you live, I will live; Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” – Ruth 1:16, while her sister-in-law turned around and went back to a sinful society. Thus, Ruth became an ancestor of Jesus.
• There was Andrew who was wise because he brought people to Jesus. “He that wins souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30.
• There was David, who was wise enough to say and understand, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
• There was Martha, who was wise enough to invite Jesus into her home.
• There was Mary, who was wise enough to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.
• There was Peter who was wise enough to step out in faith towards Jesus, even though the storm around him was raging.
• Then, there were the wise men, who came to worship the Lord Jesus and offer their gifts.

Am I some sort of wise guy? I hope so. I want heaven to record that Barbara Benton was wise. Why? She followed God, worshiped at His feet, and lived by His word. Are you a wise guy?

As a kid growing up, I was “po.” I have often said that we were not poor, since we could not even afford the “o and the r.”  We were plain old “po.” Additionally, we grew up in a really bad house, unlike so many with whom I attended school.  By societal terms, we were not much of anything.

I was chatting with one of my sisters and asked her if she could help me recall fun memories as a kid. She said, “Are you kidding? We were abused and poor. We have no happy memories.”   Though she said this in jest, there was more truth to the statement than either of us wanted to acknowledge.

For years, I considered myself as the bottom rung on the ladder.

There are many characters in the story of the birth of Jesus. I love the fact that God chose to involve shepherds in the story. Many scholars agree that in that time, shepherds were people of the lower class, a very low rung on the ladder.  Though not all scholars share that opinion, most agree that shepherds were certainly not among the elite. These “non-elite” shepherds were visited by angels, who told them of the birth of the Savior. After that experience, they took the initiative to say, “We must find Him. We must see Him. We must meet Him.”   They started the journey towards the Savior. After finding Him, they could not help themselves – they began to announce the Savior to everyone who would listen. It was life-changing when they met Jesus.

As we peer into our nativity scenes, let us not pass over the shepherds. God used the non-elite, the regular folks, to share in the story of the birth of Jesus. Let’s not lose sight that God chose those diminished by society, to be the ones who would herald the birth of Jesus Christ.  Let us rejoice in the shepherds. GOD visited and invited them to be a part of the story.

I am so incredibly thankful God included the shepherds. I cannot identify with kings in palaces, but I can identify with those who have felt less than, those who have felt hopeless that they could ever get off the bottom rung. A baby wrapped in swaddling clothes changed my perspective.

I once was a shepherd, but now I am a child of the most high God. “Nuff” said!

“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” – Luke 2:15-20

Fifty-two years of wedded bliss!  Gaylon and I celebrated fifty-two years of marriage in June of this year.  Soon it will be fifty-two and a half years.  We have been blessed in so many ways, and I would marry him again if presented with the opportunity. 

One thing I can say, without hesitation, is that we did not get to this point by listening to our feelings.  Oh, like most couples, when we got married, we just knew it would be sweet every moment. That simply is not reality.  Feelings have certainly popped up in our marriage – some good, some not so good.  We had to learn not to let feelings control reality.

We live in an hour where feelings are the new reality, or so we are told.  If you feel something, then that is your reality.  I recently read a true story of a man who felt he was a dog, therefore he paid thousands to have a dog suit crafted with real fur.  The man slips into the dog suit, gets down on all fours and walks around his apartment, drinking and eating from dog bowls, and doing all things dog.  He “feels” more natural as a dog.

Feelings are the new reality.  If you feel like a boy, then that is your reality.  If you feel like a girl, then that is your reality. If you feel like a cat, then that is your reality.

As we walk with God, it is essential to be led by the Spirit and the Word, not by feelings.  Sometimes I can go to bed with a joyful song of praise on my lips and wake up feeling demon possessed!  Know what I mean?   Feelings ebb and flow in our lives and in our spiritual journeys.  As I have heard others say, “We can have feelings, but we cannot allow feelings to have us.” 

We are people of God, led by His Spirit, and changed by His Word.  We find ourselves living in a time where feelings could easily dictate our stance on what to believe. 

According to Second Corinthians five and verse seven, we are called to not live by our feelings but by faith. We live by faith in God, the unchanging, perfect, eternal, sovereign One.  This faith is founded on the infallible, life-giving, authoritative Word of God. Scripture tells us how to live and what to believe. This is what should govern and determine how we speak, think, and act—not our ever-changing, easily-influenced feelings. How we live must be guided by God’s unchanging Word.

In the end, it is God and His Word that should inform our feelings, not the other way around. When you are tempted to listen to your feelings or your feelings are overwhelming, stop and look to God’s Word. Compare what you are feeling to what He says.  Live by that, not your feelings!

“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps.” – Proverbs 14:12,15