Glory in the Highest

Tuesday's Reading: Luke 2:8-20

"Glory to God in the Highest,

and on earth peace, goodwill toward men."

It began as another ordinary night for the shepherds, bedding down for the night in the fields with their sheep.

"... behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them... 

the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid." vs 9

No wonder they were afraid, imagine the ordinary night transforming as an angel from the realm of glory stood before them. The angel said:

" 'Do not be afraid, for behold,

I bring you good tidings of great joy

which will be to all people.

For there is born to YOU this day 

in the city of David

a Savior. who is Christ the Lord...'

And suddenly there was with the angel

a multitude of the heavenly 

host praising God and saying:

'Glory to God in the Highest,

And on earth peace goodwill toward men!' " 

vs. 10, 11 &14

Imagine the spectacle of glorious light, majestic splendor and radiant hope for all people.

I wonder if David the Shepherd King was seeing from heaven at that moment the glory of the birth of his promised son. (see December 3) The birth of our Savior is the answer to David's question to God,

"What are people that you should think about them, 

mere mortals that you should care for them?".

We ARE in God's thoughts and He does care enough to send His Son to be born from a human in a stable with animals in it. (Very messy place to be born.)

Adoration of the Shepherds by Von Honthors

When the angels departed the shepherds left and found Mary, Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. After seeing them they  

"returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen... " 

"Mary kept all these things 

and pondered them in her heart."

Ponder in your heart the mercy of God
for sending Jesus.

Give Him Glory

Color Sheets

Light of the World

Today's Reading: Luke 2:30-32, John 1:4-13, 8:12

Simeon was a righteous and devout man, who was eagerly waiting for Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and led him to the temple that day; as Joseph and Mary came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord. Simeon took the child in his arms and said this as he blessed Him:  

"Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.
I  have seen Your salvation 

Which you have prepared for all people, 

He is a light to reveal God to the nations, 

And He is the glory of Your people Israel."  

Luke 2:30-32

Today we will look at Jesus as the light prophesied by Simeon. The Apostle John says of Jesus:

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it... 

That was the true light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, 
and the world did not know Him. 

He came unto His own and His own did not receive Him. 

But as many as received Him, to those He gave the right to become children of God, 

to those who believe in His name: 
who were born, not of blood, nor the will of man, but of God." 

John 1:4-13

"I am the light of the world. 

He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness,

but have the light of life." 

John 8:12

Have you ever shut out all the lights, so you were in complete darkness and try to walk around? See the family activity called Light of the World. to see the problem with darkness. When you can't see, you stumble, run into things, trip on things and could even get hurt or hurt someone else. This is how we are as people walking around in life, not seeing as God see's. We tend to look at the outward appearance of people, but as we saw in Samuel and the King, God looks at a persons heart. It takes the light of the Spirit of God to see a persons heart. There are so many things we don't see that God sees and understands; so we tend to stumble through life and at times hurt one another. As Simeon's prophecy reveals that Jesus came as light to reveal God to nations. Jesus is the light of the world and when we follow Him we will not walk in darkness but have the light of life. When we believe in Him and receive Him, we have the right to become the children of God and be born into a whole new life in Him.

Praise God for the way He opened salvation for all people,  for you and me, through Jesus Christ His Son. In Him is light and life for all us who believe in Him. As we receive Him into our hearts, we have the right to become the children of God. As we follow Him, we walk on a path of ever increasing light that changes us to be more beautiful and glorious like Him. There will be more on this tomorrow.  (2Corinthians 3:18)

Stand in the light of His Everlasting Love