The Shepherds
While
shepherds watch'd their flocks by night,
All seated
on the ground,
The angel of
the Lord came down,
And glory
shone around.
"Fear
not," said he, for mighty dread
Had seized
their troubled mind;
"Glad
tidings of great joy I bring
To you and
all mankind."
"To
you, in David's town this day,
Is born of
David's line
The Savior
who is Christ the Lord,
And this
shall be the sign:
The heav'nly
Babe you there shall find
To human
view displayed,
All meanly
wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a
manger laid."
15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from
them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come
to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
16 And they came with haste, and found
Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17 And when they had
seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this
child.
Lesson #1 from the Shepherds:
They left with haste.
Lesson #2: They spread the good news of Christ abroad.
The Wise Men
With
wond'ring awe the wisemen saw
The star in
heaven springing,
And with
delight, in peaceful night,
They heard
the angels singing:
Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna to his name!
7 Then
Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently
what time the star appeared.
8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go
and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me
word again, that I may come and worship him also.
By light
of star they traveled far
To seek the
lowly manger,
A humble bed
wherein was laid
The wondrous
little Stranger.
11 And when they were
come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell
down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they
presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
12 And being warned
of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Lesson from the Wise Men: Sometimes we must choose another
way.
I love these lessons we are taught from the shepherds and
the wise men.
I like to think that if I saw the sign of the star in the
sky, I would join the shepherds and the wise men and leave with haste to meet the Savior. Although, it can be so easy to get
caught up in the daily tasks which seem so important to get done in that
moment. Maybe I would have meant to go,
but said, just one second, I’m coming…
Would I have recognized the sign for what it was? Do I
search the scriptures well enough that I would know what the sign meant? Do I make the time for him now, to develop a relationship with Him, so I
would know my Lord when I saw him?
The lesson for me here
is to put down what I’m doing and make the time to get to know my Lord and
Savior. Read the scriptures, ponder on his life, and invite His spirit to accompany
me in my journey, so that I may find Him.
The second lesson for me is one I learn from the wise men.
Instead of taking the easy, most traveled route, they went another way. Maybe
they went out of their comfort zone. King Herod asked them to return and report
to Him. It may have been scary to disobey. But the Lord asks us to follow Him,
which may sometimes be contrary to the popular or easy way, and we need to
follow.
The lesson for me here
is to take a different way; follow the Lord’s way.
I am grateful for the simple, yet profound examples of the
shepherds and the wise men, which if followed, can lead us closer to our loving
Lord and Savior.
Published by: McKell
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