December 25, 2024 Devo

December 25th, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
The Birth of Jesus – The Shepherds
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. – Luke 2:15-16 (NLT)
“Hurry to Jesus”

Several years ago, I went to visit a man in the hospital. He was the father of a guy that I played basketball with on my city league team. The man had some pretty serious heart issues, and my friend was concerned about his dad. He was worried about his father’s soul as much as he was about his father’s physical health. He said that his father was a tough old guy and to not be surprised if the man peppered our conversation with swear words. Having grown up in a locker room, I assured him that I could handle it.
His dad was cordial, but distant, when I went in his room to visit. I told him who I was and that I just wanted to check in on how he was doing. He minimized his condition (as almost any man would) and thanked me for stopping by. When I asked him if I could pray with him before I left, he said, “No.” He wasn’t rude or ugly about it, but he just wasn’t having any of this “Jesus stuff.” When I left the hospital, I felt extremely sad. Jesus brings comfort to our lives. Healing to our lives. Joy to our lives. Forgiveness to our lives. Jesus had EVERYTHING that this man needed. But he died without ever even opening that door.
The shepherds’ story could have been much different than it was. They could have just experienced the angels, listened to what they had to say, and then gone back to their sheep. But they didn’t. They accepted the invitation to go see Jesus for themselves. In fact, they “hurried” to see Him. And that changed everything.
Today is Christmas. It’s the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. You have an invitation, just like the shepherds and like my friend’s father in the hospital. You can run to Jesus, turn to Jesus, come to Jesus, pray to Jesus, be changed by Jesus, or you can go on about your way and ignore Him altogether. Jesus IS born. Jesus IS here. And He came for YOU. But what you do with Him is a choice you have to make. Don’t wait one second more. HURRY to Jesus. He has everything you need. That’s God’s Word for you today.

(From our home to yours, Merry Christmas everyone! I love you all!!)