December 28, 2015
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:17-20
17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Questions for Reflection:
What did the shepherds do once they saw the child the angel had told them about? How did those who heard their story respond? What are the shepherds doing at the end of this passage?
When God works in your life, He does so for several reasons. First, He is working in your life to grow your faith and trust of Him. When God provides for a need you have, He has done that to teach you that He can meet your deepest needs. When He answers your prayers, He does that to encourage your trust in Him. However, He works in your life for another reason as well. When God works in your life, He wants you to share that experience with others. By sharing your stories of how you have experienced Jesus, you draw skeptics to faith and encourage believers in their own faith.
How have you seen God working in your life in the last week? Remember, He may be working in ways that feel like failures or misses, just as likely as He does in the successes and wins. What are you learning from these experiences? How are they deepening your faith? Who have you shared this with? Who could be encouraged by your experience?
Finally, don’t miss that the shepherds experience of God fueled their worship of Him. Worship does not just happen on Sunday mornings in a building. It happens when we encounter God and then we glorify and praise Him for what we have seen and heard. Spend time today in worship praising God for how He has been at work in your life.