by Victoria Heinecke

You’ll know it when God reveals it.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
    and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.”
Isaiah 35: 5-6 English Standard Version (ESV)

Pythagoras was a popular puzzle game in the 1960s and 1970s. It consisted of seven geometric polygons, with a booklet of possible shapes which could be constructed. There are no lines on the solution to indicate which pieces are being used. All seven pieces must be used in each design, and they must form exactly to the design as shown.

We played with a Pythagoras puzzle on Christmas Day. We picked a solution and tried different arrangements, turning pieces around, unsure as to which piece went where. Then one of us said “aha!” and we were able to arrange the pieces correctly.

Have you had an “aha!” moment when you’ve been trying to answer a question or solve a puzzle?

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’”
Matthew 2:1-2 ESV

When the Magi visited Jesus and his parents, they followed a star, not knowing where they were being led. They asked for directions. Eventually they arrived in Bethlehem, and while Jesus was likely one of many children in Bethlehem, God opened the eyes of the Magi and revealed that Jesus was the child for whom they sought.

It was their “aha!” – their epiphany. They fell and worshiped, and were filled with joy! (Matthew 2:11)

Today, as the church celebrates the Epiphany of our Lord, remember a time when the Holy Spirit revealed God’s truth to you, when something made sense to your faith. If you can’t recall an experience, ask God for a star to guide you. He wants you to seek him, to see him.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado