Daily Bread 2012 - Wednesday, January 4th
(see www.moravian.org/daily_texts/ for more info on Daily Texts I will be using each day)
Readings for Today:
• Psalm 3 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%203&version=NIV
• Genesis 3,4 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%203&version=NIV
• Matthew 2:1-12 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2&version=NIV
Thoughts for The Day:
As we begin day 3 in our study of the bible, we see a change in the turn of events. While the Creation story was accented that everything was good in chapters 3 and 4 we see the effects of the Fall. Genesis 3 describes it beginning in this way,
“1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
The Fall starts with doubting God’s promises and thinking that we can provide for ourselves. It also comes from “trespassing” or stepping over the boundaries God has given for us. Instead of trusting that God had given them everything they needed the man and woman listen to the doubting voice of the serpent and when they eat of the tree they are not supposed they are naked and now fearing God instead of enjoying His fellowship in the cool of the garden.
We see the enmity between man’s purposes again in Psalm 3 where David writes about how the nations have taken their stand against God’s anointed. This is prophecy of Jesus who will be the king of kings yet rejected by the nations. As Israel’s first king, David too would get a glimpse of the suffering that can come with trying to bring about God’s purposes.
"1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,3 “Let us break their chainsand throw off their shackles.”
As we head to our Gospel story, Matthew recounts the birth of Christ and how the powers that be, instead of welcoming the king of Kings, try to eliminate him. Fortunately the Magi listen to the voice of God in a dream and don’t play into Herod’s evil plans. Instead they worship the King and offer him gifts fitting of a king.
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
As we seek to live out God’s purposes today as God’s covenant children, there will be opposition as well. Just as Cain hated Abel’s fitting offering, and Herod despised the Magi’s gifts for the real King, our enemy does not want us to worship God but him. But as we worship God rightly for who He is and offer Him our gifts, we like the Magi will be given direction so we can walk in the truth and not be harmed.
Prayer for the Day: Holy Spirit, you have created in us a desire for holiness and a hunger for the sacred. Nothing blesses us more than to follow your guidance. Let your will be done in us as it is in Heaven. Amen.
Readings for Today:
• Psalm 3 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%203&version=NIV
• Genesis 3,4 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%203&version=NIV
• Matthew 2:1-12 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+2&version=NIV
Thoughts for The Day:
As we begin day 3 in our study of the bible, we see a change in the turn of events. While the Creation story was accented that everything was good in chapters 3 and 4 we see the effects of the Fall. Genesis 3 describes it beginning in this way,
“1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
The Fall starts with doubting God’s promises and thinking that we can provide for ourselves. It also comes from “trespassing” or stepping over the boundaries God has given for us. Instead of trusting that God had given them everything they needed the man and woman listen to the doubting voice of the serpent and when they eat of the tree they are not supposed they are naked and now fearing God instead of enjoying His fellowship in the cool of the garden.
We see the enmity between man’s purposes again in Psalm 3 where David writes about how the nations have taken their stand against God’s anointed. This is prophecy of Jesus who will be the king of kings yet rejected by the nations. As Israel’s first king, David too would get a glimpse of the suffering that can come with trying to bring about God’s purposes.
"1 Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? 2 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the LORD and against his anointed, saying,3 “Let us break their chainsand throw off their shackles.”
As we head to our Gospel story, Matthew recounts the birth of Christ and how the powers that be, instead of welcoming the king of Kings, try to eliminate him. Fortunately the Magi listen to the voice of God in a dream and don’t play into Herod’s evil plans. Instead they worship the King and offer him gifts fitting of a king.
9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
As we seek to live out God’s purposes today as God’s covenant children, there will be opposition as well. Just as Cain hated Abel’s fitting offering, and Herod despised the Magi’s gifts for the real King, our enemy does not want us to worship God but him. But as we worship God rightly for who He is and offer Him our gifts, we like the Magi will be given direction so we can walk in the truth and not be harmed.
Prayer for the Day: Holy Spirit, you have created in us a desire for holiness and a hunger for the sacred. Nothing blesses us more than to follow your guidance. Let your will be done in us as it is in Heaven. Amen.
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