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Gleanings From The Word

Category: Matthew

  • Christ uses ordinary people and ordinary days

    Christ uses ordinary people and ordinary days

    mug of coffee

    My brain is foggy this morning, so I have opted to pull a back  issue out of the archives. This issue originally appeared in September 2005.

    The house is quiet. The only sounds are the buzz of my laptop’s power supply and the dripping/gurgling of the coffee pot. My eldest son, Kris, was off to his full-time job before I awoke. He works both a full-time and a part-time job at the moment. Kathy is awakening for work, and soon Kyle will be getting up for school.

    Tigger the cat came by my office for a quick visit, then went back to bed. Genni the wonder dog is sitting expectantly beside me. She shared my bagel and cream cheese and is hoping in vain that there might be more.

    Brief intermission in the narration as Kevin goes to get his morning cup of coffee.

    It’s a good cup. Sometimes in the morning, I’m not the best at counting the number of scoops so that the first taste can be an adventure. I must have measured right today.

    So what? 

    Well, the subtitle of this daily devotional is “Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life.” You just caught a snapshot from our very ordinary lives. We’re ordinary, everyday people having an ordinary day. We’re just “plain folk”. Some would even say we’re boring, but I prefer the term “content”.

    The good news is that God works through very ordinary people in everyday life.

    Moses was an aging shepherd with a warrant out for his arrest for murder. Abraham was an aging businessman. Gideon worked secretly in the family winepress out of fear. David tended sheep. The disciples were an odd combination of blue-collar workers, petty criminals, and zealots.

    It’s the power of our righteous and holy God who transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.

    The all powerful God of creation could have accomplished His goals in any way He wished. Yet He chose to give us the blessing of participating with Him. He’s given you and me, ordinary people, the task of sharing His love with the world. He’s made us to be salt and light to a dark world.

    “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16 NIV

    That means that while our lives may be ordinary and while the world may think we’re ordinary, we’re truly extraordinary people. Not because of who we are but because we’ve allowed a holy God to accomplish His work through us. 

    You are an instrument of peace, love, joy, and transformation. Absolutely nothing short of God Himself could be less ordinary.

    The flip side of the coin is that we never know what ordinary people are being used in extraordinary ways by God. That behooves us (I know behooves is a dated word, but I love the sound of it) to treat all people as if they were special in the eyes of God. We have no reason not to do so.

    Until next time, I pray you get a grasp of how truly extraordinary and how valuable you are for all eternity when Jesus works through you, and may you learn to see all people as He sees them.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Gleanings From The Word – Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

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    All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word. 

    Unless otherwise noted, “Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    From Gleanings From The Word (Kevin Corbin, 2001– ), a Scripture-based devotional work.

    Every Member Is Necessary — 1 Corinthians 12
  • Christmas – Kings or Wise men?

    Christmas – Kings or Wise men?

    drawing of the magi

    With Christmas drawing near, much of my Bible reading and  meditation has focused on the incarnation of Jesus and the events surrounding it. This morning, I was in Matthew 2, “The Visit of the Wise Men.” It’s a passage that fulfills prophecy and is prophetic in itself, but is often misunderstood. We need to actually do some Bible reading and look at context.

    There is far too much to cover in detail in one Gleanings, so for this morning allow me to touch on one key point.

    How many kings were there? None. Let’s read the first few verses.

    Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Matthew 2:1-3

    The text says “wise men”. In Greek, it is μάγοι, which refers to wizards, magicians, and astrologers or astronomers. These were learned men from the east, most likely from Persia, who studied the works of other religions and were familiar with the Jewish prophecies from Daniel’s time in Babylon.

    The text tells us who they were and why they had come. Yet there is no indication of their number. It’s often assumed that because three gifts are recorded in Scripture (gold, frankincense, myrrh), there were three visitors.

    Church tradition varies regarding the number, ranging from 2 to more than 20. Some traditions even have names for the Magi, although none appear in the text.

    It’s doubtful that these wise men from Persia travelled alone. They would have come in a caravan that included attendants, apprentices, armed guards, and more.

    Some sources suggest that since the Magi were high officials in the court of Babylon, the caravan could have been as many as 1,000 men and 100 camels. That’s possible, but it seems overstated to me; even if there were three magi, there would have been support, and I can’t envision a caravan of less than a few dozen.

    Indeed, the caravan was large enough to cause concern among the residents of Jerusalem. Three lone scholars wouldn’t have been noticed, let alone granted access to King Herod. The party must have been large enough to warrant notice.

    Whatever their number, they came seeking the Christ child and knew of the star. Their arrival confirms a prophecy of old.

    I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth. Numbers 24:17

    The Magi may have been looking specifically for that star based on a prophecy in Daniel about the timing of Christ’s coming..

    “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Daniel 9:24

    Whatever the number of Magi who came, they confirm the good news of Jesus’ birth. He set aside the privileges due Him and stepped into the material world as an infant. He came to die for us.

    Let’s remember Him this season and every day.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Silent Night – Only it wasn’t – the heaven’s rejoiced