Daily Devotions
It’s a twisted kind of faith Herod has in this passage! He seems to believe in the promised Messiah enough to call in the priests and demand to know where the Bible said Jesus would be born. But he doesn’t have enough faith to welcome Jesus as the God-sent blessing He really is—all he can see is someone who might take away his throne.
And yet, don’t I do the same thing sometimes?—looking at Jesus as someone who’s going to ruin my (sinful!) fun, and not as the gracious, loving Savior He really is. Keeping my distance so I can pretend I don’t hear Him!
But that’s ridiculous. This is the Lord who loved me so much He lay down His life for me, to set me free from evil—and who rose from the dead to give me life forever. He’s not seeking His own good—He’s seeking mine. And so I know that, if I allow Him to pull me close to Him, I’ll be glad I did in the end.
WE PRAY: Lord, help me to see You for what You really are—the best blessing I’ve ever had. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* What should Herod have done, once he figured out that the Messiah had been born?
* Do you think the wise men believed Herod when he said he was planning to worship Jesus?
* Ask the Lord to draw you closer to Him.
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.