Missing it!

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem  and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.  “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:

“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for out of you will come a ruler

    who will shepherd my people Israel.’"

As I read again the beginning of the book of Matthew I saw something I had missed before.  That's not a surprise.  The bible is far deeper than any of us realize and much more than we know.  

But it hit me for the first time-  In the middle of Israel, just miles from Jerusalem, the Messiah had been born and they missed it!  They didn't even know it!

The realization that he had arrived was brought by foreigners!

How much of what God is doing do we completely miss because it happens in our midst and we don't even see it?  I don't have any profound applications this morning just a realization that I could be in the midst of an amazing work of God and not even see what he is doing.

Lord, help me to see clearly what you are doing around me and let me be part of your work in some way.