Shepherds In A Hurry

I really love the response of the shepherds to the message they received from the angels, that Jesus had been born. They didn’t sit around and debate the proper response to an angelic visitation. They didn’t appoint a committee to study the history of miraculous births. They got to their feet and took off for the city. 

The Greek word that is translated to haste not only means to hurry, but it also carries the idea of wanting something very much, so that you do whatever it takes to get to where it is. No doubt it took a little arranging to make sure their sheep would be safe while they were gone, but they wanted to get to where Jesus was, and they hurried to do so.

How our hearts should long for the things of Christ—and too often we allow other things to be our true desire instead of Him. Jesus described this problem in His parable of the sower and the different kinds of ground on which the seed falls. He said, “And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful” (Mark 4:18–19). 

Although we haven’t received an angelic invitation to see baby Jesus, we have received invitations throughout the pages of Scripture to seek the Lord through His Word and through prayer. Nothing is more important than Jesus and we are instructed to love, follow, and obey Him with all of our hearts. There should be nothing reluctant in our worship and service of the Lord.

Today’s Discipleship Principle: Make sure your heart is eager for the things of God rather than the things of the world.