You Had to Be There

 "bring me word again," Matt. 2:8

There is no guarantee that God will send word again if we fail to respond properly the first time we hear it.  That is why the Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice, harden not your heart." Faith lays hold of God's Word and clings to it, bows before it, obeys it. 

 Two men are found waiting in Matthew two for word.  One was waiting in vain.  God would never speak to Herod "again."   We must not handle the word of God deceitfully (2Cor. 4:2).  Herod said he wanted to worship (2:8), but in fact he wanted to  destroy (2:13).  God knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. If, after hearing the word of God once, we do not believe it and bow before it, there is no guarantee that we will ever hear it again in this lifetime.

Joseph, on the other hand was in Egypt also waiting for word from God.  An angel had instructed  him to take his family and the babe and be there "until I bring thee word" (Matt. 2:13).  "Be there."  When God points out to us some place, principle, or promise faith must take us there.  We must "be there."  We must obey or when God sends word to Egypt we will not be there to receive it.  Disobedience is not only not an option, it may become the dead end for faith.  We must follow God's word whether it sends us to Bethlehem or Egypt, we must set out on a spiritual journey to "be there until [he] brings [us] word."