Scripture

The angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “I bring good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour- yes the Messiah, the Lord- has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David.”

Observation

An angel from the Lord appears to some shepherds minding their sheep near to Bethlehem. The angel tells them that the Messiah, the Saviour has been born. They will recognise Him when they see a baby lying in a manger.

A vast host of angels appears, praising God.

The shepherds decide to go and find out what is going on. They find Mary and Joseph with the baby lying in the manger.

So the shepherds tell everyone they see about what has happened.

Application

Shepherds don’t get angelic visitations- unless they have been drinking too much! How odd that the first witnesses to the coming of the Lord should be people of such ill repute.

Imagine if the local drug dealers were the people to see the angels.

These shepherds must have been wondering themselves how they came to be in this position. A whole army of angels. A tiny baby in a manger. The Messiah! The Lord!

The rulers didn’t see it! The priests didn’t see it! The religious leaders failed to understand it!

It was the shepherds who saw this thing.

This is encouraging for all of us. We don’t get overlooked by God because we don’t fit the picture of people’s expectations.

Any one of us can receive a revelation that will win nations to Christ.

It could be me.

It could be today.

Prayer

Almighty God, you reveal yourself to shepherds and princes alike. Please help me to see you and to know your presence. Amen.

Scripture

“For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”

Observation

Our Father is pleased to give us the kingdom. For this reason, we must build our treasure in heaven, not on earth. Our hearts will follow our treasure.

We must always be ready to serve Jesus. He may come to us at any time. If He finds us ready, He will serve us.

Application

Christians are caught in between two times: the ”already” and the “not yet.” Our focus must always be on Jesus and His kingdom, while not neglecting our responsibilities in this life,

This applies to the issue of money and our possessions more generally. Because we serve a good God, we do not have to put all of our trust in our ability to provide for ourselves. If we dedicate ourselves to serving God’s kingdom, we can be sure that God will provide all that we need.

We often assume that people will give to something that they are interested in. This is true to a point, but the reverse is more true. Our hearts will follow what we invest money in.

Over time I have purchased shares in a number of companies. I don’t obsess over the stock market at all, but mt interest is piqued when “my” companies are mentioned in news reports.

Jesus tells us that the best way to build our love for His kingdom is to invest everything we have in it. We have a stake in the business of God, and so we will want to see it build up; we may even work harder, giving more of ourselves to the work of the Lord.

Followers of Jesus are not permitted to do what they wish. Our efforts , our time and energy, our possessions are all His to be used for His purposes.

Prayer

Lord, please help me to invest my time, my energy, and my money in your kingdom. Amen.

Scripture

Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Observation

A man in the crowd asks Jesus to tell his brother to share his inheritance with him. Jesus uses this opportunity to talk about greed.

He tells the story of a man whose land produces a bumper crop. He starts to plan how to store it all up and prepare for retirement. But God says tonight he will die and all will be lost to him.

Application

People invest their time and energy into gathering more and more possessions. There is often a tendency in many places to judge people by their monetary wealth.

People are more than their possessions.

Sometimes we naively think that a better paying job or a lottery win will fix out problems. But really this is generally not true.

In pursuing wealth it is easy to take risks that lead us into bondage of ever increasing debt. A thriving business may fall apart suddenly because its owner borrows too much to grow too quickly, and the slightest down turn in the economy pulls it all down. Home owners borrow too much and cannot make the repayments.

Possessions do not define us. Our relationships do.

Our relationship with God is the most important thing. We were created for friendship with our creator. Anyone who tries to live without God lives a broken life.

Our relationship with family is also important. Those closest to us should build us up and encourage us, strengthening us for the daily battles of life. In the same way, we need to give ourselves to our families.

The relationships that many people miss in our self-centred lives are those with community- our neighbours and our christian brothers and sisters. Everyone is looking to belong in a community, but many do not realise it.

Prayer

Thank you, Father, for showing me that possessions are far less important than my relationship with you and with the people around me. Help me to build closer ties with you and with my family and friends. Amen.