Did you celebrate the Day of the Wise Men this week? I’m going to take a chance and say probably not. Have you even heard of it?
January 6 actually matters in many parts of the world. Living here in Latin America, I’m reminded of that every year. In many places, it’s remembered as the Day of the Wise Men. Families talk about it. Children grow up knowing the story. In some homes, gifts are exchanged and dinners are shared.
But back in the United States, the day usually passes unnoticed. And honestly, that’s a shame—because the wise men teach us something we desperately need to remember.
Those men were not just individuals, but a company of travelers who came from the East searching for the Christ child—the Savior of the world. What has always struck me is this: they did not have everything figured out. Somehow, portions of the Hebrew Scriptures had made their way to the Orient, and they had just enough light from God’s Word to recognize that the Messiah had come. But they did not have the writings of the prophet Micah. They did not know where the Christchild was to be born.
And with that small measure of light, they stepped out in faith. They started walking. And they kept walking.
That alone tells me something important. If you truly want the truth, God will make sure you get it. If you genuinely want to know God, He will make Himself known to you. The wise men followed the little light they had, and God gave them more along the way. He did not reveal everything at once, but led them step by step, until they arrived exactly where Christ was in Bethlehem.
But the opposite is also true. If you do not want the truth, you will not accept it. Those who want to believe a lie will always find one to believe. Those who want to hide behind hypocrisy will always find a place to hide. And a person can waste an entire life doing that—blaming this, excusing that, always pointing outward instead of inward.
Yet God is not withholding truth from the genuine seeker.
When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, they went straight to Herod and asked about the Christ child. Herod, in turn, consulted the prognosticators, seers, and religious experts—men who had the book of Micah. They knew the exact words that told where the Messiah would be born.
Yet that was as far as it went. They possessed the Scriptures, but they did not believe them. God’s Word had become just another book in Herod’s library. But when the men from the east heard the words from Micah, they believed the light they were given, and immediately set out for Bethlehem.
That’s where the story becomes uncomfortably personal. Are you a wise person? Or are you content simply knowing the words without following where they lead? Do you actually believe the Holy Bible you read, or do you treat it as just another book?
Years ago, I settled this in my own heart. I believe the Book. Do I understand all of it? No. Do I want to understand more of it? Yes. And when I come across passages that are difficult for me to grasp, I don’t argue with God about them. I simply pray, “LORD, thank You for this passage. I believe it, even though I don’t fully understand it. If You want me to understand it, give me more light and insight. If not, I still trust Your Word.”
God actually promises to meet us in that posture of heart. Proverbs 2:3–6 assures us that when a person cries out for understanding and seeks it as treasure, God responds. He gives understanding to those who genuinely want it. He opens hearts. He enlightens minds.
This is because the Bible is not a dead book. It is living, given to us by God, and it is only truly understood through the Holy Spirit, who opens our minds to perceive its words. And that is why what we do with God’s Word is deeply connected to what God does with us.
This is why Scripture contains mysteries, parables, proverbs, hard sayings, and the marvelous counsel of God. Some people read the words and quickly dismiss them as too difficult, too weighty, or simply too much effort. But here is the sobering truth: God does not force His light on a heart that does not want it. Yet He opens His truth generously to those who seek understanding and wisdom. To a willing heart, even the simplest words come alive.
We see this clearly in the ministry of Jesus while He walked the earth. When Israel rejected Him, He began teaching in parables—one after another. Each parable carried meaning. Each one could be understood. But only those given spiritual light could truly grasp what He was saying. Those unwilling to receive the truth walked away unchanged.
Then there are the mysteries—truths that many people endlessly speculate about. These are things God hides from hardened hearts. To those who refuse to see Christ in the pages of Scripture, mysteries become a veil. Instead of revealing Him, they shroud the glory that those hearts are unwilling to seek.
But the opposite is also true. When you respond to the light God has already given you and genuinely seek more, God is faithful to deepen your understanding. Whether through proverbs, mysteries, or the marvelous counsel of God, He delights in opening His Word to those who truly want to know Him more.
As that happens, something begins to shift. You stop reading the Bible merely to decode ideas or wrestle with difficult passages. You begin to see how the Old and New Testaments belong together—one preparing the way, the other revealing what was promised. Slowly, unmistakably, the pages begin pointing beyond themselves—to a Person.
And when Scripture begins to read that way, it presses an honest question. What do you actually want? Not what you say you want. Not what you tell others. But what you truly seek in your heart. Because God responds to that. Follow the light you have, and if you want the truth, He will be faithful to lead you—always—to Jesus Christ.
Because ultimately, God’s Holy Bible is not mainly about mysteries, parables, or hard sayings. It is the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest understanding is not merely knowing Scripture, but to know the depths of Jesus Christ, because every page leads to Him, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
RETURN TO ALL BLOGS
January 6 actually matters in many parts of the world. Living here in Latin America, I’m reminded of that every year. In many places, it’s remembered as the Day of the Wise Men. Families talk about it. Children grow up knowing the story. In some homes, gifts are exchanged and dinners are shared.
But back in the United States, the day usually passes unnoticed. And honestly, that’s a shame—because the wise men teach us something we desperately need to remember.
Those men were not just individuals, but a company of travelers who came from the East searching for the Christ child—the Savior of the world. What has always struck me is this: they did not have everything figured out. Somehow, portions of the Hebrew Scriptures had made their way to the Orient, and they had just enough light from God’s Word to recognize that the Messiah had come. But they did not have the writings of the prophet Micah. They did not know where the Christchild was to be born.
And with that small measure of light, they stepped out in faith. They started walking. And they kept walking.
That alone tells me something important. If you truly want the truth, God will make sure you get it. If you genuinely want to know God, He will make Himself known to you. The wise men followed the little light they had, and God gave them more along the way. He did not reveal everything at once, but led them step by step, until they arrived exactly where Christ was in Bethlehem.
But the opposite is also true. If you do not want the truth, you will not accept it. Those who want to believe a lie will always find one to believe. Those who want to hide behind hypocrisy will always find a place to hide. And a person can waste an entire life doing that—blaming this, excusing that, always pointing outward instead of inward.
Yet God is not withholding truth from the genuine seeker.
When the wise men arrived in Jerusalem, they went straight to Herod and asked about the Christ child. Herod, in turn, consulted the prognosticators, seers, and religious experts—men who had the book of Micah. They knew the exact words that told where the Messiah would be born.
Yet that was as far as it went. They possessed the Scriptures, but they did not believe them. God’s Word had become just another book in Herod’s library. But when the men from the east heard the words from Micah, they believed the light they were given, and immediately set out for Bethlehem.
That’s where the story becomes uncomfortably personal. Are you a wise person? Or are you content simply knowing the words without following where they lead? Do you actually believe the Holy Bible you read, or do you treat it as just another book?
Years ago, I settled this in my own heart. I believe the Book. Do I understand all of it? No. Do I want to understand more of it? Yes. And when I come across passages that are difficult for me to grasp, I don’t argue with God about them. I simply pray, “LORD, thank You for this passage. I believe it, even though I don’t fully understand it. If You want me to understand it, give me more light and insight. If not, I still trust Your Word.”
God actually promises to meet us in that posture of heart. Proverbs 2:3–6 assures us that when a person cries out for understanding and seeks it as treasure, God responds. He gives understanding to those who genuinely want it. He opens hearts. He enlightens minds.
This is because the Bible is not a dead book. It is living, given to us by God, and it is only truly understood through the Holy Spirit, who opens our minds to perceive its words. And that is why what we do with God’s Word is deeply connected to what God does with us.
This is why Scripture contains mysteries, parables, proverbs, hard sayings, and the marvelous counsel of God. Some people read the words and quickly dismiss them as too difficult, too weighty, or simply too much effort. But here is the sobering truth: God does not force His light on a heart that does not want it. Yet He opens His truth generously to those who seek understanding and wisdom. To a willing heart, even the simplest words come alive.
We see this clearly in the ministry of Jesus while He walked the earth. When Israel rejected Him, He began teaching in parables—one after another. Each parable carried meaning. Each one could be understood. But only those given spiritual light could truly grasp what He was saying. Those unwilling to receive the truth walked away unchanged.
Then there are the mysteries—truths that many people endlessly speculate about. These are things God hides from hardened hearts. To those who refuse to see Christ in the pages of Scripture, mysteries become a veil. Instead of revealing Him, they shroud the glory that those hearts are unwilling to seek.
But the opposite is also true. When you respond to the light God has already given you and genuinely seek more, God is faithful to deepen your understanding. Whether through proverbs, mysteries, or the marvelous counsel of God, He delights in opening His Word to those who truly want to know Him more.
As that happens, something begins to shift. You stop reading the Bible merely to decode ideas or wrestle with difficult passages. You begin to see how the Old and New Testaments belong together—one preparing the way, the other revealing what was promised. Slowly, unmistakably, the pages begin pointing beyond themselves—to a Person.
And when Scripture begins to read that way, it presses an honest question. What do you actually want? Not what you say you want. Not what you tell others. But what you truly seek in your heart. Because God responds to that. Follow the light you have, and if you want the truth, He will be faithful to lead you—always—to Jesus Christ.
Because ultimately, God’s Holy Bible is not mainly about mysteries, parables, or hard sayings. It is the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. The greatest understanding is not merely knowing Scripture, but to know the depths of Jesus Christ, because every page leads to Him, from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
RETURN TO ALL BLOGS
