Matthew 2 Doors of Opportunity

Doors of Opportunity

Text: Read Matthew 2

April 28, 2020

The Wise Men’s Visit – Vs. 1-2                                           

When I read this chapter today, I saw some things that really stood out to me differently than ever before. Most of us can see in the opening verses that wise men still seek the Lord Jesus. The men who came from the east had one purpose in mind for their trip – to seek the foretold newborn King. They had seen the star and followed it. Isn’t it amazing how God always makes a way for us to find Jesus – if we will seek Him.

Herod’s Trouble Vs. 3-8

When we look at the wicked king Herod, we know that this is a representation of satan. Herod was really troubled at the thought of anyone taking over his kingdom. He was very interested in finding out exactly where this birth would take place so he could get there and destroy any chance of hindrance to his dominion.

Satan always hates it when he senses God doing anything to hinder his wicked plans. It troubles him greatly when he sees people seeking after the Lord Jesus and he will try to do anything to stop it. We must stay alert to his schemes.

Truly Seeking Jesus – Vs. 9-10

The wise men continued to follow the star to find Jesus. They didn’t let anything stop them. They were filled with great joy as they went. That’s a sign that they were expecting to experience something glorious! Following Jesus can be a very joy filled experience – if we embrace it. Once thing is certain - when we seek Him, we will find Him.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

Offering Jesus Your ‘Treasures’ – Vs. 11

In this verse, we see that once we find Jesus, we are to bring Him treasures. After all He has done for us, it’s the only right thing to do to show Him our love and appreciation. What kind of treasure should we bring? Anything that is precious to us. Jesus loves our best offering of treasures. He doesn’t care if it is gold (money) or something else. It can just be our time with Him. I believe He loves that best of all. He appreciates a gift that is precious and meaningful to the giver. The wise men didn’t bring any cheap gifts to baby Jesus. No, they brought the finest and most meaningful gifts they could bring. That’s what you and I can bring Him as well.

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7

Dreams & Angels Vs. 13-14

We can see how God spoke to Joseph by sending an angel to speak to him in a dream. God uses messenger angels – then and now. He also speaks in dreams and has been since the beginning of mankind. It’s important to pay attention to what we dream. Write it down and take it to the Lord in prayer for His interpretation. He will use angels, dreams, and visions to warn us, guide us, show us things to come, or give us ideas and directions. The possibilities are endless.

Out of Bondage Vs. 15

There is so much that one can glean from this verse alone. The phrase, “Out of Egypt have I called My Son”, says much. Since we are the sons of God (male & female alike) we can rest assured that God is interested in calling us out of ‘Egypt’ or bondage too.

The Enemy’s Destruction Vs. 16-18

We can be certain that Satan will stop at nothing to try to wreak havoc in our lives. He will search out those who are seeking to walk closely with the Lord Jesus and attempt to steal, kill and destroy our time with Him. He does not want us to be in God’s kingdom, so he will send every devil he can to distract and derail us in some way. He knows which ones to send for each of us, depending on our individual weaknesses. This is why we need to cling to Jesus. Finding Him is cause for great celebration. But avoiding the snares of the enemy requires abiding in His presence closely every day; letting nothing get in the way. The weeping heard in Rama was indicative of the sorrow we experience when the enemy has robbed us of something precious.

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:7-8a

Dreams of Instructions Vs. 19-23

Joseph was visited by an angel in a dream two more times to let him know when it was safe to go and where to go. When he feared the new ruler, God was right there sending him yet another message in a dream so he would know what to do and where to go. God had directed Joseph and Mary’s steps all the way through this. They were never harmed in any way, though at times their journeys looked treacherous.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Psalm 32:8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

My Experience Today

I saw a lot in these verses as I studied in my quiet time this  morning. First is the wisdom to seek Jesus. To be in His presence to start the day is the wisest thing I could do. It all started off quite well. I was awakened at 3am. I laid there and thought about a book I have been reading that talked about the love of Jesus, and what it means to love Him back. How appropriate this day was to reinforce what I had been reading.

I wondered about the dream I had during the night. In it, I saw a bathroom with many stall doors. All were shut except one. There was a hand knocking on each door. At first glance, as I prayed through this, I thought of the doors of our hearts. They can be closed or open to the Lord.

After further study, I recalled a conversation my husband and I had yesterday. We discussed open and closed doors of opportunities in our lives. I had been sad to discover that I had missed an opportunity to write a book that was on my heart years ago. It seems the door for that is now shut.

Today, as I looked to the Lord for direction on what project He would have me do, I see so much in this chapter that I could identify with in this season of my life. When we seek to be close to Jesus, we can be certain that Satan’s helpers will try their best to bring the distractions that will steal us away from the feet of Jesus. That certainly happened to me today. I admit my flesh had a thing or two to do with it as well.

While I was planning to just sit with the Lord and linger awhile longer in His presence, I was required to take our dog to the vet for what turned out to be an unnecessary appointment. I could sense there was something wrong before we left, yet I didn’t seek the Lord on what the problem was.

On the way to the vet I sensed other signs that trouble was in the air. I began to pray and seek the Lord to find out what it was. One thing led to another, and as I sat in the parking lot waiting for the vet to see our dog, it came to me. Fortunately, I was able to cancel the appointment and made other arrangements to get the help we needed for our dog.

Once home, I was tangled up with meal preparation which could have waited a little longer. This was the “out of bondage” part for me. Busyness and food prep have been a form of bondage that has stolen much precious time away from the Lord. Next, the maintenance man appeared at our door to install a new dishwasher, and well, you get the picture. Distractions, distractions and more distractions. By then, the door of opportunity had been shut. The sweet time of fellowship had been interrupted.  

All of this left me sorrowful that it did not go as well as it could have – perhaps exceedingly and abundantly beyond anything I could have imagined. Look at this verse that I have seen many times before when dealing with this subject of stolen opportunity. I believe it says it all.

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” John 11:40

We need to remember that when we have a dream, many times, it is God trying to speak to us. If we would just stop and take the time to seek Jesus, and once we sense His presence, just stay there – a little while longer. If we could remember to be on guard for the little foxes that spoil the vine. If we love Him enough to keep other things at a distant second place, I believe we would get so much more out of our time with Him each day. We would experience His glory and be filled with great joy rather than sorrow.

How About You?

1.    Are you taking the time to seek Jesus every day and then linger in His presence?

2.    Are you paying attention to your dreams by writing them down and praying them through?

3.    Are you bringing Jesus your best ‘treasures’?

4.    Did you know that spending time with Him can get us out of bondage to the things that steal our attention on a regular basis?

Song: I Just Want to Be Where You Are By: Don Moen (Came to me when I finished writing this piece)

I just want to be where you are, dwelling daily in your presence. I don't want to worship from afar. Draw me near to where you are. I just want to be where you are. In your dwelling place forever. Take me to the place where you are. 'Cause I just want to be with you. I want to be where you are, dwelling in your presence, feasting at your table, surrounded by your glory. In your presence that's where I always want to be. I just want to be, I just want to be with you. To enter boldly in your presence. I don't want to worship from afar - draw me near to where you are. O my God, you are my strength and my song. And when I'm in your presence, though I'm weak You're always strong.