Your Daily Devotional for December 24, 2007

 

December 24,  2007

 

 

The Shepherds' Gifts to Jesus

by Dr. Paul Chappell

 

 

"And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, 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 they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds."

 

Luke 2:15–18

 

 

In this passage we read about the shepherds who were in the fields watching over their flocks on that first Christmas. In verse sixteen we read that "they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger."

 

Though the shepherds were poor and often the outcasts of society, and though they did not have expensive gifts to give the Messiah like the gifts of the wise men, this story tells us of two gifts that the shepherds gave to baby Jesus. Verse fifteen says, "And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us go now even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." The first gift the shepherds gave the Lord Jesus was the gift of faithfulness. They said, "Lord, we want to get to where you are as quickly as we can, and we want to be with you and tell everyone about your coming."

 

Did you know that every one of us could give the gift of faithfulness? We can be faithful to God's house in the new year. We can be faithful to read His Word. We can be faithful to love our families.

 

Not only did the shepherds give the gift of faithfulness, they also gave the gift of praise. The Bible says in Luke 2:20, "And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them." Did you know a journey that is begun in faith will always end in praise? The shepherds followed the words of the angel by faith, and when they arrived at the stable, their faith became sight. This gave them great joy, and they began to praise God.

 

If you want more to praise God for in your life, I ask you to step out by faith during this new year and follow God and His Word. I remember our first night in our new auditorium after several years of building. Our choir stood and sang, "Hallelujah to the Lamb." What an amazing night! Do you know why we could praise God with such exuberance? Because the journey that was begun in faith ended in praise.

 

I want to challenge you to walk by faith in the new year. Trust in God and give to Him the gift of praise. As your faith grows and your joy abounds, you will be so thankful for His presence in your life.

 

Daily Bible Reading

Habakkuk 4-5 • Revelation 15

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