Some one shared the following story with me. I thought it was a good one for the first Sunday of 2008.

A group of graduates were talking at a reunion, and they decided to visit their old university professor, now retired. During their conversation, they began to complain about stress in the workplace and in their lives. The professor offered his guests hot chocolate. The went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups: porcelain, glass, crystal, paper, some plain, some exquisite. "Help yourself," he said.

When they all had a cup the professor said, "Notice that all of the nice looking, expensive cups were taken. You left behind the plain or cheap ones. While it is normal to want the best for yourselves, that's the source of your problems and stress. The cup you are drinking from adds nothing to the quality and flavor of the hot chocolate. What you wanted was the hot chocolate, not the cup….And then you began eyeing each others cups."

I wonder if the wise men can teach us anything about how to appreciate the hot chocolate (and many other blessings!) in the New Year?

We are entering a New Year, and we are celebrating Epiphany. The visit of the wise men is a familiar story. The Magi were priests from either Babylon or Persia. They studied the stars. This new star, the Star of Bethlehem, caught their attention. They came to worship this newborn King. Gentiles were coming to worship the Real Star of Bethlehem, Jesus!

We don't know how many wise men there were. There were 3 gifts presented, but we don’t know how many wise men. Some believe there were 10, 20 or more, in order to stir up King Herod and the entire city of Jerusalem.

When they found Jesus, Matthew 2 tells us that Jesus was living in a house, not the stable. Maybe a bit of time has passed since the visit of the shepherds. Jesus could be as old as 2 years by the time the wise men arrive, since Herod's order to kill the baby boys in Bethlehem, 2 years old and under, was based on when the star appeared.

Herod wasn't happy to hear that a new King was born. No matter what Herod said, he didn't want to worship Jesus. He hated Jesus. He was threatened by Jesus. To worship Jesus means to recognize that all are sinners and that Jesus is God and Savior. To worship Jesus means that to understand that Jesus is truly God who took on human flesh to save the world from our sins.

Let's see how the wise men can teach us anything about how to appreciate the hot chocolate (and many other blessings!) in the New Year?

The first, so obvious, life lesson from this story is that the good Lord is watching over us. God is omnipotent. He is all-powerful, and He controls this world. This includes the Bible fact that a star appeared and led the wise men to Jesus.

Lutheran Historian Paul Maier says that it could have been a comet, but no record exists that would place a comet near Bethlehem at the time Jesus was born. Some claim it to be a Supernova, a star that has a sudden increase in brilliance. However God did it, it was the Lord who directed the star to appear at just the right time. It was the Lord who worked the faith in the hearts of the wise men to set out on a journey of faith. It is the Lord who is control. Always and forever.

How blessed we are in the New Year when we recognize that God is omnipotent, that He is all-powerful in this world and in our lives. As the Lord directed the wise men to find the Baby Jesus, He also is directing our lives today.

Like so many other people, a favorite Psalm of mine is Psalm 23. The verse says, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…" Because God is good, and because God loves us, I know that He will protect and care for me. This does not mean that everything is easy. I do not believe that the journey of the wise men was an easy one. This is a sinful world. There are challenges. But God says, "In all things God works for the good of those who love him."

This is NOT a promise for everybody. God does not work good for those who do not believe, those who are hostile to the Lord. But if you are a believer, he promises that all things work together for good. Not immediately, but in His timing!

One way that this verse is fulfilled is shown in Psalm 145, "The Lord watches over all who love Him…" God cares about the details of your life. He already knows what you will face in 2008. Like a dad, He will provide for you in the future. Sometimes, it's difficult to see God's goodness when we are going through a tragedy. But later we can see God's hand of blessing. He is watching over you and me.

Another lesson that we can apply from the story of the wise men is the confidence that God's grace is working in my life. We Lutherans know that God's grace comes to us through means. Through the means of grace, God strengthens our faith and draws us closer to Him.

The wise men were drawn to Jesus, and what did they do? They bowed down and worshiped Him? The wise man a commitment to worship this new Star of Bethlehem, the Baby Jesus.

God's grace works in our life through Reading the Bible, through personal and corporate worship.

Many people make New Year's resolutions. Some make the commitment to read the Bible every day. That's good. We have to read it in order to be blessed by it. In America, Bibles are everywhere. They are in grocery stores, motel rooms, bookstores, everywhere. They come in all shapes and sizes. It is the bestselling book of all time. Last year there were 500 million Bibles produced in 18,000 different languages. Yet, some people every year miss the blessing. They don't open it. They don't use it. They don't worship.

Bible reading is an active process. I read about one way to actively read and study God's Word. When you read the Bible, I want you to look for 9 themes. Each time you open the Bible to read, look for one of 9 themes. I'll give them to you, and you remember them by 2 words: sounds crazy,

"SPACE PETS."

This is one way to actively read your Bible. When we do, God's grace works in our hearts.

The wise men further teach us that heaven is awaiting me and all believers in Christ. Think about those gifts that the wise men brought to Jesus. Gold, fit of the King of heaven and earth. Frankincense, used by Christ the great High Priest, who offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Myrrh used to anoint the dead body, foreshadowing Christ's death on the cross of our sins. It is through the cross that Jesus paid for our sins and opened heaven for all who believe.

This is what the believer cherishes. We need to live in this year and in this world, knowing that this life is the warm-up act, it's the appetizer. The best is yet to come. Heaven with Jesus and all believers. Forever.

Several years ago, a plane was carrying Bob Hope on one of his famous USO tours. The plane had engine trouble. The pilot began to look for a place to land, alerted the passengers. The passengers became quiet and many began to pray. Before long, the pilot found an airport and landed successfully. As the plane taxied to the gate, Bob Hope stood up and said, "Now, folks, you can go back to the same old life you almost lost 20 minutes ago."

I wonder if the wise men were changed after following the star and worshiping Jesus. Does meeting, knowing and worshiping Jesus make a difference in your life today?

Of course! In the New Year, remember:

• God is always watching over you
• The good Lord's grace is working in you through the means of grace
• Always know, there's something better ahead. Just follow the true Star of Bethlehem.