wednesday, december 5
Let Us Go
“When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.’ ”
Luke 2:15
“Let us go”—three small words which capture the big theme of the Advent season. The word “Advent” derives from the Latin word meaning “to come to” or “to draw near,” and just as those shepherds felt a call drawing them to Bethlehem, we, too, approach Advent as a time to reconnect with God and draw nearer to Him by pondering the great miracle of Christmas.
The shepherds were not expecting anything out of the ordinary that evening, but received an extraordinary sign. Perhaps, this Christmas, we are not expecting anything much different from Christmases past. It is hard for us to share in the enthusiasm of the shepherds, and, because we know how the story will end, we are not surprised at what the shepherds found in Bethlehem. What would it be like to rediscover again the Christmas story?
Beyond the sights and sounds of Christmas, God has a plan to take us from our places to show us something new and wonderful about how He is acting in this world. What happened to the shepherds so long ago is happening again this Christmas. The call the shepherds heard was a call to action—to leave where they were and to discover in a real way what they had been told. Do we hear a similar empowering call in our lives this Advent season? What is God’s call to action in your life?
How will this Christmas change you? May a heart receptive to where God is calling you be your gift to Him this Christmas.
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by Christopher Russo.
| DO |
| Incorporate something new in your Christmas traditions this year. |
| PRAY |
| For a heart receptive to incorporating new people into your Christmas celebration. |
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