“When the angels went away from them into heaven,the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”” – Luke 2:15
Scripture reading: James 1:22-25
The angel has just announced good news of great joy. “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” (Luke 2:11-12).
The astonished shepherds sat around and discussed their experience. “That angel had a great message! He’s a good speaker, too. And the choir was amazing. Well… shall we run to Starbucks for a pink drink? Who’s in?”
No, that’s not what happened. These shepherds had just heard the breaking news that the long-expected Jesus had been born in nearby Bethlehem. The angel had just told them they would find a baby wrapped up in a manger.
There is only one appropriate response to the announcement that Christ has just arrived in your neighborhood: you go and seek Him! That’s the first thing the shepherds did when the angels returned to heaven. “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” These men were doers of the Word, and not hearers only. Their feet proved their faith in response to the gospel.
What about you? Do the sermons you hear via pulpit and podcasts move you to seek the Christ they proclaim? Do they move you to trust and obey Him? Or do they prompt discussion and debate over Sunday dinner and nothing more?
Suggestions for prayer
Praise God that the Christ proclaimed in the gospel is accessible to all who seek Him. Pray that the Holy Spirit will move you to seek Christ in response to His voice in the gospel.
Rev. Richard Zekveld is the pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church (PCA) in South Holland, Illinois, a Chicagoland suburb. Rev. Zekveld, his wife Nancy, and their five children have lived in the community of South Holland for seventeen years. Get this devotional delivered directly to your phone each day via our RP App. This devotional is made available by the Nearer To God Devotional team, who also make available in print, for purchase, at NTGDevotional.com.
