13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”
16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:
18“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Questions for Reflection:
I don’t have a question for you to ponder today… as I’m assuming that if you’re engaged in a daily Bible devotion, your response to the incarnation was like that of the Wise Men who sought Him out and worshiped Him with urgency.
My challenge for you though is to pray for the people in your mission field (people you encounter where you live, work and play) and pray that their response to Christ’s birth is also like that of the Wise Men and not of Herod.
Prayer of the Week:
Daily Opening Prayer (Concluding with an option for 2 minutes of silence)
Father, Son, Holy Spirit, I rejoice in the reality and opportunity to spend these moments in Your presence. It is so good to be in Your presence this day. Please, restore me in You and renew me in you that I might experience all of You that is possible. Fill me afresh Holy Spirit, saturate me in Your Love, saturate me in your Life and saturate me in Your JOY this day. Untangle me from my anxious thoughts, immerse me now in my true identity as a child of my heavenly Father with an irreplaceable role to play this day, in Your larger story.
Jesus, help me untangle from all other claims on my attention as I engage with you in this time. I ask for more of your JOY today and an increased capacity to REJOICE in You and all You are to me. I am open to You Jesus now … I rest in You… (Spend two minutes of reflective silence with eyes closed, this time is embedded in the audio version … just rest in the presence of yourself and Jesus!)
Daily Closing Prayer
Thank you Father for sending me your Son, the Light of the World, through the mystery of His incarnation. Fill me with Your Light, fill me with the Holy Spirit, and give me a deeper desire for You, for Your JOY in my life, and a sense of bring Your Light into the darkness of this world. Jesus, I renounce any and all ways I tend to replace You through the celebration of this season. Help me Re-see ways this season actually ignites my passion and longing for You. I want more of you Jesus. I need, utterly need, more of You Jesus. Fill me to overflowing with Your life and Your love.
Jesus through waiting I ask for more of Your presence. I want to know You more. I want to spend all my day in side-by-side friendship with You. I receive You now.
I am excited to see what You can do today. I know You can do amazing things, and I would love to be a part of them.
I am waiting for Your cue.
Amen
