And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. – Luke 2:8-18
The Familiar
These are such familiar passages to me. Every Christmas before opening any presents, we read Luke 2 together as a family to remember the true meaning of Christmas. As I was reading these verses this morning, the thought came to my mind, “Do I still have the same wonder and excitement now as I once did when I first heard about and learned about Jesus. Do I still tell those I come into contact with about Him and what God has revealed about Him?”
Wonder Leads To Action
These shepherds were going about their everyday business. They were doing their job, they were not priests, or ministers. They were everyday people that God revealed His truth and plan to.They then acted on what they were told and shown and then shared what they saw. It is a simple act that often we overthink and over process and then we become paralyzed and do nothing. To me these verses are a beautiful example to keep the wonder of all that Jesus has done for us alive in our hearts. As we go about our everyday lives whether it is going to work, taking care of our children, or enjoying retirement, we need to be looking for what God is showing us in His Word, in our prayer time, or in our worship services. We do not want to be hearers only but also doers. We need to notice what God is revealing to us, act on what He has shown us, and then share with others what God has done. We don’t need to stress over what we don’t know, just share what we do know. Don’t worry what they might think because that is between them and God.
My Prayer
My prayer is that no matter how long we have known Jesus, we would never let the wonder of Him coming to Earth born through a virgin, and then dying to pay the price for our sin leave us. I pray that we would be continually seeking what He is trying to reveal to us, that we would act on what He shows us and tells us. I pray that we would never cease to praise Him and to share what we have seen, learned and experienced with those around us. It may not be revealed as it was that day to the shepherds, but God is still alive and active. He is still working and revealing himself to us and He wants us to share the good news with others!
Written by Rebecca Murzin
