Advent Devotional: Day 19
“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”
In many ways, the shepherds could be considered the first evangelists in history, even pre-dating the Great Commission mandate. When they heard the news about the birth of Jesus and saw Him for themselves as a baby, they couldn’t help spreading the news of everything they had witnessed. They were expecting the Messiah and they found Him.
In our lives, while those of us who are believers recognize the Messiah, are we expecting Him to show up in our lives? Do we wait for Him or do our own thing? And what happens if we are expecting Him to show up in a particular way, and He chooses, in His sovereignty, to show up in a way other than what we expected? What if we’re expecting healing and He doesn’t? What if we’re trusting God for a promotion at work, and we get let go instead? Do we still have faith? Do we still trust Him? How can we have hope and joy in the midst of those situations?
Instead of looking to our circumstances, we should look to God’s character and His promises from scripture. We should also remember that as believers, we don’t need to keep “looking for God” as if He is somewhere out in the cosmos, but rather remember that He is always with us, that His presence dwells within us since the Holy Spirit has sealed us. Those in Him can never have His presence taken away from them. We don’t need to be looking for a big, dramatic, mountaintop experience, but recognize God is always with us, even in the mundane and seemingly ordinary.
In this Christmas season, let us remember that the greatest privilege we have is to share the Good News of Jesus with the lost. Just as the shepherds were amazed, we too can tell others about the amazing grace and faithfulness of God.
“Lord, help me to trust You and rest in Your sovereignty, remembering You work all things for my good. ”
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