Devotional Thoughts

Matthew 2:19-23     "But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,  Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life.  And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.  But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee:  And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." Herod sought to kill Jesus from the moment he heard that He had been born. Even though this great event happened practically under his nose, Herod had no idea concerning Jesus’s birth or the time it occurred. In his desire to destroy the very Truth of God, Herod ...

Matthew 2:12-15     "And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.  And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.  When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:  And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son." Many times in life, we are warned of God. Thayer’s Greek definitions interprets “warned of God” as meaning “to give divine command or admonition.” Sometimes that warning comes from the Scriptures. Other times, it may come as that still, small voice that whispers in our hearts to do (or not do) a thing, or, as in ...

Ephesians 1:1-2    "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:  (2)  Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." I could not get the book of Ephesians out of my thoughts as I was trying to seek God's will concerning my devotions after completing the Psalms. I kept going back and forth with other thoughts until I read these first two verses this morning. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to begin this book in a manner that gives the ultimate example of God's grace and mercy. He writes concerning himself and the absolute change that God makes in the hearts and minds of His people. I hope to be able to concisely say what I see in these verses. We know the person Saul used to be, but now He speaks in terms of God's grace, mercy, love, and peace. When he was on the road to Damascus, Saul was in no way seeking the peace of the people who wer...

Matthew 2:7-10    "Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.  And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.  When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.  When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."   The wise men were following a star that was leading them to Jesus. Scholars tell us that, depending on exactly where they came from in the east, they had been traveling for two to six months before reaching Jerusalem. That time does not take into account the time they would have spent preparing to make such a journey. Whatever the exact period may have been, it was not quick and it was not easy. Herod was extremely interested...

Matthew 2:1-4    "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,  Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.  When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born."  We often see a number of myths surrounding the coming of the wise men. They are often referred to as three wise men. In truth, the Bible does not tell us how many there were. These wise men brought three gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh), but the only thing we can know for certain about their number is there was more than one. The manger scenes we see often show the wise men at the manger with the shepherds and a star standing brightly over stable. Again, the Bi...