“King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, ‘Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?’” (Matthew 2:3–4 NLT)

 

Imagine for a moment that you’re living in first-century Jerusalem. You hear mysterious visitors from the east speak of a star that has been leading them to “the newborn king of the Jews.” These wise men are indicating that the long-awaited Messiah has come! You know from prophecy that the Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem, which is only five miles away. Wouldn’t you be inclined to make the short journey to check out their story? Wouldn’t you want to know if the Savior had come?

Herod was right to expect answers from the leading priests and teachers of religious law as to where the Messiah would be born. And while they interpreted the writings of Micah properly, they should have been more invested in the matter.

These men were the theological scholars of their day. They knew Scripture inside and out. It was their job to study its words and number its letters and lines to ensure careful copying of scrolls. They knew the details of God’s Word so well, but they cared so little. They knew where the Messiah would be born, but they didn’t care about a baby king as much as they cared about an adult monarch who could line their pockets with gold. They were too preoccupied to bother with Jesus.

Nothing stunts spiritual growth like spiritual pride. It was true in the first century, and it’s true in the twenty-first century. When you approach the countless truths of God’s Word with an attitude of “I already know that,” or “I’ve already heard that,” or “That doesn’t apply to me,” you limit their impact on your life. You dull your senses to the wonders of Scripture.

One of the devil’s masterstrokes is to use frequent exposure to Scripture to foster a sense of spiritual pride. Sometimes when you hear the Word of God again and again, you can enter a place of complacency, a place of apathy. You might even find yourself asleep, spiritually speaking. I find it interesting that many of the Bible’s warnings to “wake up” are addressed to believers. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica, “So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded” (1 Thessalonians 5:6 NLT).

The religious scholars of the first century missed Jesus’ birth because they were in a spiritual slumber. If we’re not careful, we can miss the celebration of Jesus’ birth for the same reason.

Approaching the Christmas season—and the Christian life—with an attitude of prideful familiarity keeps us from experiencing the life-changing blessings that Christ offers. It’s important that we stay humble and recognize that there is always more to learn, more to apply, and more to change.

 

Reflection question: How can you stay humble, eager, and curious in your walk with Christ? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem.&nbsp;He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, &lsquo;Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?&rsquo;&rdquo; (Matthew 2:3&ndash;4 NLT)
&nbsp;
Imagine for a moment that you&rsquo;re living in first-century Jerusalem. You hear mysterious visitors from the east speak of a star that has been leading them to &ldquo;the newborn king of the Jews.&rdquo; These wise men are indicating that the long-awaited Messiah has come! You know from prophecy that the Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem, which is only five miles away. Wouldn&rsquo;t you be inclined to make the short journey to check out their story? Wouldn&rsquo;t you want to know if the Savior had come?
Herod was right to expect answers from the leading priests and teachers of religious law as to where the Messiah would be born. And while they interpreted the writings of Micah properly, they should have been more invested in the matter.
These men were the theological scholars of their day. They knew Scripture inside and out. It was their job to study its words and number its letters and lines to ensure careful copying of scrolls. They knew the details of God&rsquo;s Word so well, but they cared so little. They knew where the Messiah would be born, but they didn&rsquo;t care about a baby king as much as they cared about an adult monarch who could line their pockets with gold. They were too preoccupied to bother with Jesus.
Nothing stunts spiritual growth like spiritual pride. It was true in the first century, and it&rsquo;s true in the twenty-first century. When you approach the countless truths of God&rsquo;s Word with an attitude of &ldquo;I already know that,&rdquo; or &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve already heard that,&rdquo; or &ldquo;That doesn&rsquo;t apply to me,&rdquo; you limit their impact on your life. You dull your senses to the wonders of Scripture.
One of the devil&rsquo;s masterstrokes is to use frequent exposure to Scripture to foster a sense of spiritual pride. Sometimes when you hear the Word of God again and again, you can enter a place of complacency, a place of apathy. You might even find yourself asleep, spiritually speaking. I find it interesting that many of the Bible&rsquo;s warnings to &ldquo;wake up&rdquo; are addressed to believers. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Thessalonica, &ldquo;So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded&rdquo; (1 Thessalonians 5:6 NLT).
The religious scholars of the first century missed Jesus&rsquo; birth because they were in a spiritual slumber. If we&rsquo;re not careful, we can miss the celebration of Jesus&rsquo; birth for the same reason.
Approaching the Christmas season&mdash;and the Christian life&mdash;with an attitude of prideful familiarity keeps us from experiencing the life-changing blessings that Christ offers. It&rsquo;s important that we stay humble and recognize that there is always more to learn, more to apply, and more to change.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you stay humble, eager, and curious in your walk with Christ?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Believers must stay humble, eager, and curious in our walk with Christ.

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