The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 25 December 2019 – TOPIC: THE LORD’S GLORY SHONE AROUND THEM

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DATE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019
(Christmas Day)
TOPIC: THE LORD’S GLORY SHONE AROUND THEM
READ: LUKE 2:10-20 (NKJV)

10. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12. “And this [will be] the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
14. “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
15. So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.
17. Now when they had seen [Him,] they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.
18. And all those who heard [it] marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19. But Mary kept all these things and pondered [them] in her heart.
20. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

THE MESSAGE:

Jesus was born at a time and on a day of great national activity. A national Census was going on throughout the empire.

There was a great movement of people to and from their home city. The transport business was on a boom. The hospitality and hotel industry were a beehive of activity. People were experiencing a boom in business, and the empire was at its peak. God had blessed the emperor and the empire. The core Jews, looking for a release from Roman occupation and rule, were downcast as it seemed the contrary was happening: Rome was waxing stronger. Then the Saviour was born!
No one took notice; there was no place for him at the inn. He was inconsequential to the movement ofthe time.

God was looking for whom to tell and to celebrate with for this epoch-making birth. There was no one found in the city. And as had been from the days of Moses in the wilderness, the angel went out of the ‘city of activities’ to the shepherds in the field to announce the birth of the Saviour. It was with these shepherds that the Lord stood and His glory shone unto them. The emperor, the governor and people, occupied with the empire prosperity, saw none of God’s glory.

They had not the presence of God. As men are occupied again today in celebration and feast, it is important that we do not get carried away (Hebrews 13:9-14), so that we do not miss the most important thing – His presence, His message, His joy, and His angelic celebration.

PRAYER: May the Lord find us separated enough in order to grace us with His presence and glory today and always, through Christ our Lord. Amen