- …and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” Matthew 2:4-6 – After the wise men entered the scene and spoke with King Herod, the king was disturbed at the idea that a new king was born in his land. This Herod went down as a horribly cruel man, willing to even slaughter his own to protect his throne. Distressed that there was even word about a new king, Herod calls on the priests and scribes to tell him everything they can about the prophecies surrounding the Messiah. After hearing what the priests said, does Herod rejoice and seek out Jesus to worship Him? No, we see him clamoring to protect his throne by giving the order to kill all the male children in Bethlehem under the age of two. For this we see that not everyone when they receive the truth of God’s word actually turns to follow it. Herod was spoken the truth, yet turned to his fears and pride instead. The priests possessed the truth, yet possessed no desire to seek out the Messiah that had been born. Having the word is one thing, but following it is another. Let’s not then be simply consumers of God’s word each Sunday at church, but followers of God’s word daily. Like Herod, you’ve been blessed with the truth of God’s word. Now it’s your choice whether you’re going to let it be something that fuels you towards your sin or will you embrace it and let it change your life. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3324
- …and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” Matthew 2:15 – A king was hunting down their newborn son, it just made sense to escape. Yet, while unaware of it at the time, they were fulfilling a part of God’s plan He set in motion long before. We to need to remember God has been working out our future long before we step into it and every little step matters. So keep in mind things like loving the person in front of you at work or having a conversation with someone you’d normally look past might be simple things but they are parts of God’s master plan for you and them. Don’t set aside the little steps of today as worthless when it comes to your lifetime purpose for God. If you think small moments of following God’s ways like treating the person at Walmart with love isn’t important to your master purpose in life, you’ve seriously missed the big picture then. Loving God by loving them is your master purpose. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 856
- And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Matthew 2:8-10 – Those who seek Him find Him. Our passage describes two different accounts of people trying to find baby Jesus. One would have been the group of wise men. They sought to find Him to present their gifts and worship Him. God lead them all the way and they found exactly what they were looking for. Herod was the second one trying to find baby Jesus. He wanted to find Him to destroy Him and to secure his own place as king. Herod never found him. To help understand why, let me finish the verse I stated in the beginning…You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13. The wise men found Jesus because they sought to worship Him with all their heart. Herod never found Jesus because his heart wasn’t leading him, his fear of losing power was. Today are you searching for God? Are you searching to hear from Him? Know He’s able to be found and sought out; He wants to be found by you and sought out by you. What then is the bent of your heart in this pursuit? Is it humble, ready to lay it all down at the feet of the God you are searching for? Is it hard, only wanting to discredit? Is your heart even open yet to the possibility there is a God to find? Often the reason it’s hard for people to find God is not because He’s made Himself hidden, it’s because their heart is blinding them from seeing what’s right in front of them. Do a heart check and examine the attitude of your heart. Why do you want to find Jesus? Know He is able to be found by you. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 1952
Daily DEVO 