And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. – Luke 2:20
Birthday party plans had been in the making for days. The house was beautifully decorated. The food was prepared. The gifts were carefully wrapped. Family and friends were all present, but where was the guest of honor? Oops! No one even gave him a thought! Everyone was so busy preparing and enjoying themselves that they completely forgot about the one the party was for.
This may sound funny, but consider how you would feel if someone prepared a birthday party for you and then completely ignored you. It actually happens more often than you might think.
Many people are so caught up with all the preparations for Christmas that they do not remember Whose birthday they are celebrating. We never want to forget that Christmas is the time we have set aside to remember Jesus’ birthday, and that He must be an integral part of our celebration. A good way to start off our personal Christmas party is to read the Christmas story from the Bible. Then, take time to talk to our Heavenly Father, thanking Him for the birth of His Son. As we gaze at the star or angel on top of the tree, let us remember that angels declared the birth of Jesus not only to Mary and Joseph, but also to the shepherds. The star proclaimed the birth of the Savior to the Wise Men. Even the gifts we exchange are in remembrance of God’s gift to us and the gifts the Wise Men offered to the Christ child.
The beauty of that first Christmas night, when angels appeared to the shepherds on the hillside, filling the sky with the glory of the Lord and giving praise unto God, was more magnificent than anything we can imagine. There must have been a glorious celebration when they arrived and found the Messiah and knelt before Him in worship and adoration. It is no wonder they went about telling the wonderful news of the Savior’s birth.
May He be the focus of our hearts, too, this Christmas.