Distance from the Means of Grace

“And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also” (Matthew 2:8).

Get yourself a fresh cup of coffee and turn to Matthew 2:1-8. Yes, this is the Christmas story, but today’s devotion is not about so much the birth of Christ, as an often missed lesson of human nature. The Magians (more commonly called wise men) traveled a long way to better understand Jesus and to worship Him. There is a lesson here that is often over looked. The Magi did not live as close to Bethlehem as Herod did, but they exerted a greater effort to know Jesus. Often those of us with the greatest opportunity to know Christ, to truly know Him, take Him for granted. The Bible goes unread, because we own a copy and can read it anytime. We don’t think much about missing worship at our church; after all, we can go anytime. And often the local worship experience is summed up more in complaints and criticisms of the event than worship of Jesus. Contrast this to people in many third world countries who walk miles to experience corporate worship, stand for hours under a tree, and are excited for the opportunity to hear the Word.

The fact is that people who live the furthermost distance (distance is not always miles) from the means of grace often apply the greater diligence, and learn to discern and understand the most of Christ and his salvation. It is like the pastor’s child who grows up in a Christian home with parents who love them, pray for them, and teach them the truths of God, and yet the child does not take advantage of this blessing. Or the child in the home of a Christian scholar who has hundred of reference and Christian books, but the child never seeks to read and learn from the books.

Take a sip of that tasty coffee and meditate for a few moments on these questions. What opportunities do I take for granted? Am I more like Herod or the Magians? What am I going to do different as a result of this devotion?

Prayer: “Lord, please help me to be aware of all the many means of knowing you more. Help me not to talk them for granted, but to take advantage of them and learn more of you through them. Help me not to take corporate worship and Christian fellowship for granted, but rather to participate in and benefit from all that is available. Amen”

If you feel led, leave me a post and let me know your thoughts!