When Angel’s Sing
Shepherds stand on the dark hillsides outside Bethlehem, working a job few wanted and none respected. The glory of God cracks open the night sky with news that will change the world.
“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).
No ordinary night.
Shocked to the core at this unimaginable sight, the shepherds respond with urgency,”Let us go straight to…and see.” Wonder turns to action as they leave in haste, seeking to find this child, born to save the hearts of men.
“When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger” (Luke 2:15-16).
Tucked away in this familiar account of the birth of Christ is a simple picture of worship. When God shows up, in the deep of our night, in the midst of our watching, He meets us right where we are. Worship gives glory to God as we respond to His worth…who He is, what He says, and what He does. These humble shepherds heard great news and they responded.
They heard. They wanted. They went.
Searching for the gift of Christmas.
Sometimes we make things, including worship, far too complicated.
God’s story would have continued, but the story of the Shepherds would have come to a dull end if they had shrugged their shoulders and found an excuse not to act. What do we miss when we neglect to give God glory?
How much more exciting for them to have the adventure of seeking and searching to see if what they had been told was true. Responsive worship brings us into the thick of what God is doing–it gets us involved and participating.
A fun idea for kids:
Each year when we put out our nativity set, I gift wrap and hide the Baby Jesus figure. When our kids were little, they loved reading the Christmas story and moving the figurines around as they acted out the story. Some years they dressed up–so crazy cute! These are some of my favorite Christmas memories.
As part of our Christmas Eve tradition, we have a treasure hunt, searching for the first gift of Christmas…Christ.
How will you respond to God today?
Oh, yes. My pride insists on complicating things… even my worship. God meets me where I am and I only need to respond and receive. Thank you for this encouraging, liberating message. Loved it! Merry Christmas~
Thanks for reading, and I’m so glad you’ve been blessed!
Beautiful words that have reminded me of the beauty of God tucked away in the hearts of others, in the ways and doings of people we see but don’t really look at, and in so much more. We miss too much and that is not how it should be. God has created us all and He has placed His gifts in us each. Thank you, Ginger. And glad you are posting here as I had never been here nor to your place.
Caring through Christ, ~ linda
I’m so glad you are visiting today. I have really enjoyed visiting your lovely blog. Merry Christmas!
Ginger, I love this, the invitation to look at the angels worshipping of Jesus and not make how we worship Him complicated. I always need this to remember this. Bless you and thank you!
Merry Christmas and may you enjoy the simplicity of true worship this Christmas!
Ginger – this is awesome! I love the idea of searching for the true gift of Christmas! I also love your look at the shepherds and their response to God. How many times we shrug our shoulders and let the moment/opportunity pass. Praying we will be like them and look to for what He is doing and give Him the glory.
Beautiful post, Ginger. I agree we sometimes make things more complicated than need be, especially during the Christmas season.
It is so challenging to keep it simple, but always a blessing when we do so. Merry Christmas!
Thank you, Ginger, for that reminder. At the beginning of my most recent situation with my teen, I asked the LORD to show me His face and let me hear His voice. Most definitely has He been doing just that during this whole ordeal. I cringe to imagine what we would be going through had I not sought Him.
Merry Christmas!