Devotion for Tuesday, January 30, 2024

“When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (Matthew 2:3).

There’s a good “troubled” and there’s a bad “troubled.”  This is a bad troubled.  The idea of a real king taking the place of this imposter (Herod was not a Jew) was a part of the paranoia that caused him to have his own sons killed.  He did not want any threat to his throne, even though he would live only a couple years beyond the birth of Jesus.  Such is the wickedness of a mind fully corrupted by sin.  In sinful insanity, it is unable to reason.

The old Adam is corrupted by sin.  The old Adam dwells in us all.  Except for the grace of God, this could be you or me.  We too have our own paranoia.  The Lord has come to kill the old Adam and resurrect a child of God in the old Adam’s place.  This is the story of salvation and why Jesus has come.  What the world tries to destroy is the truth which cannot be destroyed.

Lord Jesus, the Light of the World, shine on me this day that all of the darkness of sin which is in me may be exposed.  Slay the sinner so that the one whom You redeem may rise, put Your cloak on, and walk as a child of the Light.  Lead me through these things so that I may become more like You, dear Jesus, and walk in the goodness of Your grace and mercy.  Lead as You will and help me to be a willing follower always.  Amen.