City Life Starter

Written by Megan Meier

The Word

“15 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.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

Luke 2:15-20 ESV

Reflection

Merry Christmas! Hope y’all’s day is full of joy and blessings! Thank you very much for taking time out of your Christmas Day to read my devotional!

Today’s devotional will be a comparison of what the shepherds did and what they didn’t do. The shepherds’ immediate reaction to the fantastic news from the angel was curiosity, to see what the Lord had made known to them. They didn’t just dismiss what they saw and go back to their business, watch TV, then go to bed. The shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and found who they were looking for. They didn’t stop at Starbucks on the way, or say, “we need more sheep food, let’s stop by HEB while we’re in Bethlehem,” they were focused on their mission. After they had seen baby Jesus, they shared the news of what the angel had said and what they had seen. They did not keep it to themselves, neither were they afraid of what others would think of them, particularly because shepherds were not thought highly of in that culture. The NIV version says the people were “amazed” at what the shepherds had said. Afterwards, the shepherds praised God and gave Him glory.

And Mary, despite all of the worldly worries that were happening, being far away from home, the social ostracism, and knowing the baby in her arms was God incarnate, she thought deeply and treasured God’s Word.

Application

In this world, it’s too easy to get distracted and worried: bills, chores, grocery lists, and social media just to name a few. And sometimes like Martha (and I’m guilty of this as well), we’re so occupied with the to-do list that we forget what’s right in front of us (Luke 10:38-42).

In this world we will have trouble, but Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33). The key is to allow the Word to grow on fertile soil, not on thorns (Matthew 13:22-23). When God shows you something, employ curiosity, focus, sharing what you’ve learned, praising God, and thinking deeply and treasuring His Word. Despite all of the less-than-ideal, even nasty, stuff going on, we can still rely on God and His Word. When you encounter problems, fix your focus on the unseen for that is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Prayer

Dear Jesus, thank You for coming into the world to grant me peace. Help me to seek You, focus on You, think deeply and treasure Your Word, share Your Good News, and remember to praise You and give You Glory. In Your name I pray, amen.