Have you
had your Joy Juice today? The shepherds in the Christmas story had a large serving of joy when they learned about Jesus’ birth!
Luke
tells us that though the shepherds were terrified at first, their fear turned
to JOY as the angels announced the Messiah’s birth. Then they hurried to see the baby with their
own eyes! After that, they began to
spread the word! They were so excited &
joyful that they could not keep this good news to themselves. That’s what you call the “real Christmas
spirit”!
What
about you? Are you filled with JOY
because of the birth of Jesus? Or are you missing out on what Christmas is all
about?
Do
you ever wonder why God appeared to the shepherds? Why not the inn keeper? It
was his property. Why not the local religious leaders? They were looking for a
Messiah. Why not a few of the local visitors in town for the census?
- The inn keeper missed the birth of Christ because he was too busy. There were customers to care for, meals to prepare and rooms to get ready.
- Religious leaders missed the event because they had their own version of the Messiah… which didn’t include a baby born in a stable.
- Townspeople missed the birth of Jesus because they were celebrating a census. There were parties to attend, dinners to enjoy and gifts to open… (Sound familiar?)
God’s
angels appeared before the shepherds because, unlike everyone else in
Bethlehem, they were ready and willing to respond. May
each of us be still, be ready and be willing to experience the genuine JOY of Christmas.
Won't you join me as we drink in the joy
of the Lord and prepare to see Jesus throughout this joyful Christmas season?
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