Response

Good Morning all. Today is a joy because it is a present. Live today for the Lord as it is your last. Let's see how the shepherds handle the angels and the news they are about to receive. 10. Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. (Have you noticed that they always say "Do not be afraid." Their response is always one of calming down the fears.) Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, he is the Messiah, the Lord. (I don't know about you but if an angel of the Lord appeared before me and told me that my Messiah had just been born, I would run to him just as fast as I could.) You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.(So, now we don't have just one angel but a heavenly host singing. Just as the one angel spoke that the Messiah had arrived so did an heavenly host. What a sight! But we also get that rejoice when just one that is lost returns home.) When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherd's said to one another, Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord told us about. So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ( I guess they did just what I would do. They could not wait to meet the Messiah. Do we feel that way? Do we get up each morning and are anxious to get the day started with our Messiah.) When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told to them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what they shepherds said to them. (So as soon as they saw the Messiah, they wasted no time telling others. Do we waste time about our Messiah? Are we too scared what others will thing? Notice also that he used shepherds to spread the news and not the rich and powerful.) But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Could you imagine after being with the angel and then the child is born and strangers come because he is the Messiah, the Promised One, what was going through her mind? What God had in store for this Son of his.) The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and see, which were just as they had been told. (They left the birth place of Jesus and returned to work praising God. Do we have the same response when we get good news). On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived. (Now we have two babies with names that the angels named and two sets of parents that followed what was commanded of them. Can the same be said of us? Guys, we can learn so much from these two parents. Do we have faith enough to know that God is going to do what he tells us he is going to do? Do we have enough faith to leave it in his hands and know the outcome will always work out? Have a blessed day!