5 Minutes with Jesus is a daily devotional series for people in the midst of real life, whether facing anxiety, grief, questions of purpose, or simply needing encouragement and connection. Hosted by Sheila Walsh, each five-minute episode offers Biblical truth, honest reflections on faith and emotions, and closes with a moment of prayer.
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| Sheila Walsh: The Bright and Morning Star | 5 Minutes with Jesus | December 3, 2025
- Even in the darkest of times.
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- When we can't see his hand.
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- The brilliant light of christ
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- Shines with hope and guides us onward.
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- Perhaps tonight the sky is clear.
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- You might step outside and gaze up at the stars.
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- And remember who are soon returning.
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- King is.
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- And worship him.
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- It was an unexpected gift.
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- At the end of a very long day and a 21 hour flight.
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- I and a team had landed the previous evening in luanda,
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- Which is the capital of angola and central africa.
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- We were there on a mission to meet with elders
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- In various villages and talk with them
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- About their most immediate needs.
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- Due to an extended period of drought,
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- Food supplies had all but dried up and many of the children
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- Were victims of severe malnutrition.
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- Our partners in southern africa
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- Had produced an oatmeal like soup
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- That contained vital nutrients and vitamins for children
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- That part of the world so desperately needed,
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- And we would be able to bring it to their villages.
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- It was just the best news to share.
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- Literally life in a bowl.
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- Well, the following morning
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- We were up and on the road by 5 a.m..
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- I'm pretty sure the shock absorbers on our jeep
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- May have worked well in the 1950s,
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- But they were struggling to work for us.
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- After several hours of banging my head on the roof of the jeep
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- As we drove deeper and deeper into the dry, arid land,
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- We came to our first village.
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- Through our interpreter,
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- We asked the village chief
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- For permission to camp there that night.
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- Well, knowing that we were there to help support the children.
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- He graciously said yes.
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- I'd never spent the night in a one person tent before.
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- It was quite an adventure.
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- As long as you don't need to stand up too often.
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- We were each assigned an army cot, a sleeping
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- Bag, and a headband with a light attached.
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- I wasn't sure why we needed a headlamp,
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- But then the sun went down and the darkness came.
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- When you are
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- Hundreds of miles away from the nearest town or city
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- And there's no electricity.
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- Nighttime is a black backdrop.
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- The stars took my sleeping bag outside,
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- Lay down and a gazed up at the night sky.
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- Honestly, it was breathtaking.
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- I saw april must have seen.
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- Remember?
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- Then the lord took abraham outside and said to him,
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- Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can.
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- That's how many descendants you will have.
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- I gazed up at the stars that night.
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- I was in awe of this unexpected gift.
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- So far away from home.
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- It's so aware of the presence of god, my father.
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- I found myself worshiping,
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- And i thought
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- About the ancient visitors who were guided by a star
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- And brought their gifts to the christ child.
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- The greek word my goy, used in
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- Matthew three is translated as pagi or wise men.
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- These men came from the east, probably from babylon or persia,
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- A journey of more than 500 or 600 miles.
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- They were not jews waiting for the messiah.
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- They were men of science who studied the stars.
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- So what was this star?
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- Some experts believe it was a supernova or a comet.
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- Only god knows for sure.
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- In his fascinating book, the star of bethlehem.
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- An astronomers view.
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- Mark kitchener points to something
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- That occurred in seven b.c.
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- Two years before the year.
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- Most scholars agree that christ was born.
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- The planets jupiter
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- And saturn past each other three times that year.
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- Well, that december, when they passed each other
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- For the third time, they met, then departed slowly.
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- Well, jupiter, the largest planet in our solar
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- System, was considered a sign of royalty.
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- Saturn, the second largest, was seen as a sign of protection.
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- It's an ancient jewish saying that god created saturn
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- To protect and watch over israel.
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- To those who studied the stars.
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- The message was clear.
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- A king is coming to protect god's people.
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- Well, in five b.c., a brilliant star shone for 17 days.
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- And it's thought that
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- This is likely
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- The time when the magi began their journey to jerusalem.
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- These men of science took great risks,
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- Traveled a great distance, and gave extravagant gifts.
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- And in the presence of this tiny king,
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- He bowed down and worshiped.
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- How can we do less?
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- Even in the darkest of times when we can't see his hand,
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- The brilliant light of christ
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- Shines with hope and guides us onward.
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- Perhaps tonight the sky is clear.
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- You might step outside and gaze up at the stars.
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- And remember who are soon returning.
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- King is and worship him.
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- I am the bright morning star.
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- Let's pray.
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- Lord jesus, i want to
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- Thank you that you are willing to come to this earth,
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- To bring your light and your hope and your presence.
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- And just as the wise men followed that star, it's
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- Our heart's desire to follow you.
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- Even as we gaze up at the night sky and see a star sparkling.
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- Remind us, just as you named every one of those.
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- You know us and you love us.
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- And you see us.
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- And we thank you in jesus name,
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- Amen.
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