9: It is evident by this that the star was placed there by God, and that it was no ordinary star. It justifies their efforts to find the child.

Personal Journal Entry #12094
Prayer Journal Entry #12094
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 22:1-24:22
Praise Journal Entry #12054: Heavenly Father, You are worthy of any effort we may give to praise You. You have justified those who would otherwise be hopeless. You give everlasting joy to those who would otherwise be filled with misery forever. What a great Kindness is Yours! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

8: Perhaps the wise men began to sense the true intentions of Herod at this point. False piety is often easy to detect.

Personal Journal Entry #12093
Prayer Journal Entry #12093
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 19:1-21:15
Praise Journal Entry #12053: Heavenly Father, Lord God Almighty, who made heaven and earth and all that is in them. You are worthy of true praise and adoration. May we never offer You a false piety, for You can surely see through our intentions. I praise You for Your greatness. You are worthy of all glory and honor. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

7: It is amazing what pains people will take to maintain their power. When men think that they must maintain their rule by their own schemes, rather than the will of the people, or God, they will work very hard at it. Diligence is thus not always a sign of virtue.

Personal Journal Entry #12092
Prayer Journal Entry #12092
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 17:1-18:30
Praise Journal Entry #12052: Heavenly Father, may I ever work with diligence to do Your will! So many spend their lives trying to get things that will never last. And yet, so few will give much effort to those things which will never fade. You deserve to be the focus of our lives, Father. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

5: This citation refers to Micah 5:2. It is amazing that a generation may know so much about scripture, and yet turn a deaf ear to the Messiah.
6: In Micah Bethlehem is called Bethlehem Ephratah, whereas Matthew says Bethlehem in the land of Judah. In both cases they were referring to the same place. The name Ephratah had fallen out of use by Matthew’s time. In both cases the extra identification was needed because there was another Bethlehem in Israel.

Personal Journal Entry #12091
Prayer Journal Entry #12091
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 15:1-16:23
Praise Journal Entry #12051: Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Your Truth to all who will heed it. Help us to be doers of the Word, and not just hear it. May we never be like the generation that rejected Christ! Father, guide me into Truth each day by Your Holy Spirit, and allow me to be a witness for You. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

3: Herod was troubled because of his present position. He was the king of the Jews, but was not Jewish. He was an Edomite, from Esau. He was also in power at the will of the Romans. These two factors would make him fear any supposed king arising from the Jews themselves, especially if it were from the tribe of Judah.
The people of Jerusalem were troubled for more surprising reasons. Though there were surely many who rejoiced in the thought of the advent of the Messiah, most were afraid of the Romans. They felt that anyone who would threaten to throw the careful balance of power into convulsions was no friend of theirs. Thus, any shred of belief in the Messiah that they held was far overshadowed by their fear of losing the peace they had obtained.
4: It is amazing, though not surprising, that one who called himself the king of the Jews would know so little about the Old Testament.

Personal Journal Entry #12090
Prayer Journal Entry #12090
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 13:1-14:52
Praise Journal Entry #12050: Heavenly Father, it so good to know that You are never out of sorts. You never become worried or afraid. You are never out of control. For You, a perfect balance is easy. Father, may we drink deeply of the Peace that is found in You. I want true peace and contentment in my life. Thank You for all that You have done to make our lives full of joy and peace. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.

2: There has been much speculation as to the identity of these men from the east and the star that they followed. The wise men, or magi, of the eastern countries would think themselves lazy to miss such an vision in the heavens as a star that was showing strange behavior. That this star was from God is made evident by the gospel accounts. The means by which these men came to conclude that this star indicated the birth of the King of the Jews need not be questioned. Though the magi might at other times have come to conclusions that would indicate questionable methods, there can be little doubt that they had, at some level, a scriptural basis for their conclusions.

Personal Journal Entry #12089
Prayer Journal Entry #12089
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 9:1-12:25
Praise Journal Entry #12049: Heavenly Father, thank You for family and friends. Thank You for our homes and churches and all the blessings that come to us through them. You are the Father of blessings. May we live a life aware of the blessings You give, and mindful of our response to them. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

1: Matthew gives us a clue here as to the time of Jesus’ birth. Herod is a well-know figure, and we know when his reign ended. Many would try to deny the truth of Matthew’s account, but the gospels are accurate historical accounts of the life of Jesus Christ.

Personal Journal Entry #12088
Prayer Journal Entry #12088
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 5:1-8:22
Praise Journal Entry #12048: Heavenly Father, thank You for the Truth of Your Word. It brings stability to our lives. It gives us a sure foundation to work from. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

24: Joseph brought the betrothal to an immediate end. He took Mary into his home right away. Though this was a break with custom, he was concerned for her welfare. Besides this, it would help alleviate the multitude of comments that uncaring individuals might make concerning the inferred illegitimacy of the birth.
25: Joseph did not, however, perform certain duties as a husband until after the birth of Christ. This shows what a good man he was. He gave Mary and the child a home, and yet waited until the Lord’s time to consummate his union with Mary.

Personal Journal Entry #12087
Prayer Journal Entry #12087
Daily Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-4:22
Praise Journal Entry #12047: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your guidance. We are so limited, and yet You see fit to guide us in the way which we should go. It is always so great to have a Map on hand. You are the guiding Light and the Way we must travel. I love You, Lord. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

23: Jesus was indeed virgin born. Emmanuel was not, however, his common name. It seems that the name Emmanuel was intended to explain exactly what the angel said to Mary. This was the Son of God. The name Jesus, which the angel specifically gave to Joseph for the boy, served a more direct purpose. Although Jesus was the Son of God, his name, Jesus, pointed out what he was here for.

Personal Journal Entry #12086
Prayer Journal Entry #12086
Daily Bible Reading: Ruth 2:1-1 Samuel 1:28
Praise Journal Entry #12046: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness in sending Your Son to us. I can never fathom the depth of Your love. You have made our lives worth living by Christ. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

22: The prophecy here is found in Isaiah chapter seven and verse fourteen.

Personal Journal Entry #12085
Prayer Journal Entry #12085
Daily Bible Reading: Judges 20:1-Ruth 1:22
Praise Journal Entry #12045: Heavenly Father, thank you for another day to serve You. Your daily mercies and comforts are wonderful. Your faithfulness encourages us to be faithful to You. May we always realize that it is so worth it to serve You. Life is richer when we follow the path You lay out for us. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.