LEARNING DAILY

Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!"

I have been giving some thought to the Christmas season as I read a devotional by OS Hawkins. I would like to share what he wrote about Luke 2:14. “Look at the nativity, and you will see a worship service. Angels hover over it like drones. Common, smelly shepherds and sophisticated wise men bow down. Worship flows from everyone toward the child. It is difficult to imagine any greater contrasts than what we see at the nativity. They were different socially. Shepherds were low on the socioeconomic scale. Wise men were so acceptable they entered the king’s palace. They were different educationally. Shepherds had no formal education, while the wise men were famed for knowledge. God is telling us that no matter who you are or where you are from, any and all can come to Christ and worship Him.” That is good writing! And yes, I know the shepherds and wise men were not actually there at the same time. He is writing about the modern nativity we use today.

I have had to ponder the real meaning of Christmas. There have been questions this year that have been asked me, and events happen that have caused me to look at this nativity scene. The verse from Luke is about God’s glory in the heavens being given in the gift of peace to those who believe in Him. Read the verse again! It captures the spirit, the heart of Christmas – the joy that comes from the baby in the manger. Do you recognize God’s greatness, His goodness, His power that comes with the birth of Jesus Christ? Read the verse again! Do you honor Him above all else? It is important that you remember to acknowledge God’s glory and actively seek His presence, His peace in your life.

Look again at the Christmas story in Matthew 1 and Luke 2 and you must see that those written about were not just admiring the baby Jesus; they were worshipping Him. Why? He was to bring a message of peace to this earth. It would be a peace brought through saving those who would believe on Him, for both individuals and nations of the world. There is much talk about peace being made here and there. There is no peace without Jesus Christ in one’s life. He calls for those who have made Him their Savior to reflect His love and grace to others. It is a peace that reflects God merging with humanity by offering hope and healing in a world that is truly broken. It is a peace that goes beyond human understanding and brings people from different walks in life together – like shepherds and wise men who worshipped the birth of the Messiah.

I pray you embrace the message this Christmas season; live it out in your life every day by loving those around you. Begin there; they need you to show the love of Jesus, His compassion, and grace that brought salvation and change into your life. Make sure that the top priority on your Christmas list today is worship.