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.” Luke 2:15
The angelic chorus could have appeared to everyone in Bethlehem. They could have materialized above Jerusalem. They could have hovered over the skies of Rome or Athens or Corinth or any of the great cities of antiquity. But they appeared just to the shepherds—lowly, lonely shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night.
Why? Perhaps there are reasons known only to God. But certainly in His omniscience God knew the shepherds would act on the revelation He gave. For as soon as the angels departed, the shepherds rushed to see the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and sleeping in a manger.
Faith isn’t just knowing something, but doing something about it. The Lord speaks to us every day as we study His Word. Whenever God speaks to us, we must respond. If He tells us to stop worrying, that’s what we do. If He tells us to tame our tempers, that’s what we do. If He tells us to go to the ends of the earth with His message, we pack our bags. Christ is worthy of our faith, and faith always leads to obedience.
What message does God have for you in His Word today?