“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 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. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” (Luke 2 v 13-20)
The Amplified says ‘they went with haste’ and the Message ‘they left, running’. There are times when going slow and taking your time is not an option.
The shepherds were never commanded to go, they were given the opportunity. What if they had put off till tomorrow what they could do today?
The angel of the Lord had suddenly reorganised their priorities. The sheep were their priority and it still was but now they knew what was better.
Some people would have said ‘right let’s take all the sheep with us to Bethlehem, because we have got to keep working!’
What do you need to stop doing so that you can become more effective? What do you have to delegate?
The shepherds searched for Jesus. And in the Amplifies it says ‘by searching found’ v16.
Are you still a pilgrim? Do you still pant like a deer for the water?
What could stop you? It could be distraction, discouragement and disappointment.
Don’t think they ran into Bethlehem with an A-Z map and all they had to do was find Manger Street.
May be they tried every cowshed in Bethlehem before they found the one with a baby in it, for that is the meaning of the word ‘search’.
What has tried to stop you this week?
What is it going to take for you to seek God until you find Him?
v17 “When they had seen him …” The Message says “Seeing was believing”
There was more pomp and circumstance in the fields of the hill outside Bethlehem than on the Saviour Christ the Lord in the manger.
There was no gold, frankincense and myrrh. That would not happen till later.
There was no message. There was no music.
There were signs of poverty.
The baby was just a baby. He didn’t wink or give the thumbs up sign.
But Zechariah says we should not despise the day of small things.
God’s work is done “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit”.
A frightening thought this might be, but you and I may have been one of those who went and said “That’s not God.” We may have been a tad disappointed.
Can you believe that what you see in your church are the hallmarks of God?
Maybe in your church there isn’t a lot of powerful demonstrations of the heavenlies as on that Bethlehem hillside, maybe it is just ‘normal’ and maybe your faith in God is just normal. Perhaps you see yourself as a plodder!
But don’t turn away from what you describe as normal because God could well be there, hidden and humble, meek and mild but ready …!
Missions Paul 