Luke 2:20

“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them.”

Churches make a big deal of Christmas and have special services.  Extended families gather together at Christmas and share their traditions. These church services and family gatherings can and should be times of refreshment and spiritual awakening. The first Christmas was certainly that for the shepherds.  But first they needed to:

‘Hear and See’

– they heard the Gospel message from the Angel; “For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

– then they saw and they experienced the Savior lying in a manger. They saw Him with their own eyes, validating what they heard. 

Christmas services and family gatherings provide this same ‘hear and see’ opportunity.  Hear the Christmas story and then see the difference that Jesus Christ the Savior makes in the lives of people. Then after hearing and seeing, the shepherds were now ready to:

‘Glorify and Praise’

– they honored God and gave Him the Glory, like the heavenly host had done the night before when they filled the sky. 

– they praised God for who He is and for what He has done. They praised Him for giving to man a Savior who would bring peace and goodwill to all the earth. 

Note that they did all of this in community. They did it with one another. These men were awakened in their faith together.

Consider: When have you had moments that caused you to reignite your faith?

Pray:  Ask God to bring more of these moments and for you to be ready for them.