LIFE LESSONS

“THE SHEPHERDS”

Reflect Upon – Luke 2:8-20

I know that Christmas is over, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the shepherds in the Christmas story lately. We all know that a host of angels appeared to the shepherds and told them about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The shepherds were thrilled with the news and told many others about what they had seen and heard. That impressed me.

But verse 20 is what struck me this year. “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.” I like the way J. B. Phillips translates Luke 2:20–“The shepherds went back to work, glorifying and praising God for everything that they had heard and seen, which had happened just as they had been told.” They returned to their sheep and resumed their former lowly lives, accept for one thing – they continued “glorifying and praising God . . .”

A question exploded through my spirit. What do I do after Christmas? When things return to “normal” after the holidays, what do I do with Jesus? Do I wrap Him up in tissue paper, so to speak, pack Him away and forget about Him like most do with the delicate Tree ornaments? Or do I continue to glorify and praise Him like the shepherds did?

We must continue to glorify and praise Him and not forget Him! We must set an example to give Him as much attention all year long as during the Christmas season. The means of success in this area is to continually to “COME” to the WORD as the shepherds in verse 15 (Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us) and then rejoice in that same Word each and every day!

We often here the saying: “Let’s keep Christ in Christmas.” This year lets plan to modify that saying to “Keep Christ first and foremost in 2012,” and continue to glorify and praise Him often.  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Heavenly Father, thank You for the precious lessons you teach us from Your Holy Word. I surrender my life to you once again in 2012 and will strive to spend more time glorifying and praising You. In Jesus Name. Amen.