miracles – Be Still…

Christmas 🌟 Matthew 2:1-12 – Wisdom

Read Matthew 2:1-12

These men were expecting a Jewish king to be born from prophecy. They must have been elated when they finally saw the star. We don’t know much about these men, other than they were wise. The text doesn’t say where they came from, how long they had traveled, or how many of them there were. Have we assumed three because there were three special gifts? (Fun fact: the Eastern church recognizes there were twelve wise men!)

Their wisdom had prepared them for this moment. You can imagine many people had seen that glorious star in the sky, but they had no idea what it meant. Somehow, these men knew it signified the birth of a future Jewish king, even greater than King Herod, the then current king on the throne.

Mark 3:7-12 – Crowd Control

Read Mark 3:7-12

What happens when you hear something great is happening? Many of us will drop everything to see for ourselves if it’s “hype worthy.” Here in Mark’s gospel, we see that crowds of people have heard about Jesus. They want to see for themselves, too. They are attracted to Jesus but have no real understanding of who he is.

The miracles people were talking about were examples of God touching people and meeting their needs. People were being healed. Others had their lives restored when evil spirits finally left them alone. Can you imagine keeping quiet about such life-changing experiences?

Joel 2:18-27 – Restoration

Read Joel 2:18-27

What divine intervention! If Joel’s earlier words led his audience to believe they would be the laughingstock for belonging to the one true God, this passage lessens the distress. Can we assume that the people did repent and pray and this is God’s response?

Have you ever feared or experienced mockery for your faith? How did that make you feel? Did you realize God was there all the time?

2 Kings 8:1-6 – Tell Me More!

Read 2 Kings 8:1-6

Dana whispering in David's ear, David has surprised face

What perfect timing! That’s what they say about God’s timing. It’s always perfect. Can you recall a time in your life when something worked out just perfectly at the right moment? Did you give credit to God? I can think of several! Let’s share our stories over in the Facebook group, HERE. Look for the post, “God’s timing is perfect!”

In today’s reading, we see a curious king. He was wanting to learn about the great things Elisha had done. I don’t think it was out of jealousy but of wonder at what this prophet could do. His servant, Gehazi, would have example after example of the mighty things he had seen Elisha do (with God’s help).

2 Kings 2:19-25 🤷‍♂️ What Am I Missing?

Read 2 Kings 2:19-25

Elisha now has his first opportunity to show God’s power in helping the people. There are two very different stories shared in our reading today. The second left me uneasy and wanting to know more. I’m so blessed to have a Bible scholar for a husband. He has spent a lot of time helping me understand the original Hebrew as well as what may have been happening with the bear incident.

Sometimes when we read our Bibles something will stand out and leave us questioning what just happened. That was my experience today. My mission is to help people connect with God through his word, and texts like this can often scare people away.