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In Hope

Taking Time For Wonder

Friday December 1, 2023

The hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping and related events is in full swing.  With all the busyness some of us hardly have time to stop and think and are grateful at the end of a busy day that we can sit down, put our feet up, and rest for a while.  On the night Jesus was born shepherds who had been busy caring for their sheep all day long, were finally sitting down to rest.  Suddenly angels appeared in the sky, and their ordinary lives were changed forever. 

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep.  Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.  They were terrified, but the angel reassured them.  “Don’t be afraid!” he said.  “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.  The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:8-12 NLT)

The shepherds took the angels at their word and went to find this baby.  We don’t know everything they communicated with Mary and Joseph, but we do know that they took time to tell others about the amazing truth that God had come to be with them. 

After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child.  All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished … The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.  It was just as the angel had told them.  (Luke 2:17-20 NLT)

This Christmas season, God is ready to break through into our ordinary lives with the amazing reality that His Son came to be with us.  Just as the shepherds took time to go to Bethlehem to find the baby Jesus, we need to take time to seek the risen Jesus.  When we encounter Him, and spend some time in His presence, we will be filled with joy and peace, and our lives will be wonderfully changed forever. 

Prayer:  Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that Jesus came to earth to be with us.  I want to pause in this moment to remember the helplessness of the Baby Jesus and let the wonder of this season fill my heart once again.   Amen. 

 

©2023 Partners in Hope 

Audio for Taking Time For Wonder

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