Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Thank you, God, for caring not only about my holiness, but also for my physical and spiritual protection. Give me strength to stay away from those things you prohibit, courage to do what you ask of me, and excitement to enjoy the life I have in you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

After the wise men left, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. The angel said, "Get up! Take the baby and his mother and escape to Egypt. Herod will start looking for the baby. Herod wants to kill him. So stay in Egypt until I tell you {it is safe}." So Joseph got up and left for Egypt with the baby and the baby's mother. They left during the night. Joseph stayed in Egypt until Herod died. This happened to make clear the full meaning of what the Lord said through the prophet. The Lord said, "I called my son to come out of Egypt." Herod saw that the wise men had fooled him. Herod was very, very angry. So Herod gave an order to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and in all the area around Bethlehem. Herod had learned from the wise men the time {the baby was born}. It was now two years from that time. So Herod said to kill all the boys that were two years old and younger. So the thing God said through the prophet Jeremiah happened: "A sound was heard in Ramah. It was bitter crying and much sadness. Rachel cries for her children; and she cannot be comforted, because her children are dead." After Herod died, an angel of the Lord came to Joseph in a dream. This happened while Joseph was in Egypt. The angel said, "Get up! Take the baby and his mother and go to Israel. The people that were trying to kill the baby are now dead." So Joseph took the baby and the baby's mother and went to Israel. But Joseph heard that Archelaus was now king in Judea. Archelaus became king when his father Herod died. So Joseph was afraid to go there. Joseph was warned in a dream. So Joseph left there and went to the area of Galilee. Joseph went to a town called Nazareth and lived there. And so the thing happened that God said through the prophets. God said that {the Christ} would be called a Nazarene.

Related Scripture Readings

But a bad spirit from the Lord came on Saul. Saul was sitting in his house. Saul had his spear in his hand. David was playing the harp. Saul tried to throw his spear into David's body and pin him to the wall. But David jumped out of the way. The spear missed David and stuck in the wall. That night, David ran away.

But David thought to himself, "Saul will catch me some day. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up looking for me in Israel. That way I will escape from Saul."

An evil person can hurt other people by the things he says. But good people are protected by their wisdom. When good people are successful, all the city is happy. When evil people are destroyed, people shout with joy. A city becomes great when the honest people living there give it their blessing. But the things an evil person says can destroy a city. A person without good sense says bad things about his neighbors. But a wise man knows when to be quiet. Any person who tells secrets about other people can't be trusted. But a person that can be trusted does not spread gossip. A nation with weak leaders will fall. But many good advisers will make that nation safe.