Stars Of Prayer And Perseverance

Let me begin by bringing to you the first verse and chorus of a well-known, well-loved and well-used Christmas Carol, which was written by John H. Hopkins in 1857.

We three kings of Orient are; bearing gifts we traverse afar,

Field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star.

Chorus

O star of wonder, star of light, star with royal beauty bright,

Westward leading, still proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.

I never realized how much information was carried in this first verse of the hymn and in its chorus. Behold! In them we find all that we are being given in epiphany, right in this fast-moving first week.

Prayer - We follow the Star of Prayer, as we are made fully aware of God’s manifestations to us. Deliberately, consciously and solemnly, we ask God to, Guide us to Thy perfect Light. Jesus has come. The Light of the world has come. A light for revelation to the Gentiles has come. Alas! And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3: 19. Darkness of arrogance, ignorance, pride, self-worth and more are all around us and within us. Prayer is God’s Star to us, which we follow faithfully, humbly and sincerely, as the Holy Spirit leads and guides us. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8: 26.

I confess that I am guilty of using prayer as that which I have to find and do all kinds of things and make all kinds of deals, to receive. May God have mercy upon me and all like me who have been totally deceived about prayer. Prayer, like the Star born to the wise men in the East, is what God has given to us, as He gave the star to them. Prayer is our sure, trustworthy and always triumphant Guide, which leads us to King Jesus, Physician Jesus, Friend Jesus, Redeemer Jesus and Life-Giver Jesus.  We are led by prayer.

Perseverance - We follow the Star of Perseverance, as we are made fully aware of God’s manifestations to us. Resolutely, consciously and deliberately, we seek the tenacity and unrelenting spirit of these wise men, to keep going. Bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain, following yonder star. As we have been reminded in the carol itself, these wise men were from the Orient lands, from the East.

I’m curious about the picture that’s being opened up on my mind. This is given even wider scope, as we are led to another carol, not as popular among us, ‘We Three Kings of Orient Are’, but none the less one which God, the Holy Spirit, our Teacher, is using to do with us as He did with the shepherds. The Light of God’s wisdom demands that in Him, we will continue to receive refreshing, renewing, revitalizing light, which carries with it even more spreading joy and hope.

F. Cozens, in 1894 wrote the hymn, The Magi Came From Lands Afar.  Here are the first and third stanzas.

The Magi came from lands afar,

Led by the guidance of a star,

They journeyed on to Bethlehem,

To seek the Savior, born for them.

 

Nor do they come with empty hands,

They bring the treasure of their lands;

Their costliest gifts they offer thence

Of gold and myrrh and frankincense.

 

These wise men, Gentiles, if you please, have left it all, to go the faraway distance to Bethlehem, to seek the Saviour, who has been born to them, Gentiles, not Jews.  Has it ever dawned upon you that these wise men may not necessarily be from the same land? Cozens makes a point of letting us know that the Magi, came from lands afar. The Scripture text tells us that there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem. 

However you wish to interpret what you have read and heard, the word, East, does speak to us of lands. At this point, before I could even begin to question or try to think this through, our Teacher brought me to what sits in my lap and the laps of all Caribbean people. This is not just for the Caribbean, mind you, but for any people living in lands which are known by one name.

Up to this day and time, 2025, when people hear of the Caribbean, or West Indies, they think of one country, usually Jamaica, with one people. Indeed, we are the Caribbean, but we are different islands. However, it is not uncommon for what is happening in one island to be experienced in other islands. For example, hurricane weather felt in one island, is also felt in other islands. The full moon, seen by people on a particular night in one island is also seen on that same night by others in another island.

Aren’t we finding wisdom here, precious treasure, exposed before us to take as faith allows us? Our Heavenly Father, Sovereign God, in His Supreme and Almighty Power, chose to spread out the Good News of the birth of His Son, to lands of the East. Once again, our minds are being stretched out, as it were. For the first time, you and I are not thinking of three wise men or Magi from one place. No! The bigness of the heavenly message, in all its splendour, will not continue to be limited in us.

Faith allows us the joy and utter freedom to see and know that the appearing of God’s heavenly star, which shone in the East, was strikingly bright and arresting enough, to be seen in Orient lands. Wise men from the East all saw. Does not this bring hope and encouragement to us, to keep persevering in following the Holy Spirit? The journey may take us through mountains and valleys, stormy weather and calm weather, sorrows and joys, but we will persevere, never giving up on our Guide’s Leadership and Power to keep us in the Way.