Give Glory to God

December 21, 2014 Background Scripture: Luke 2:1 – 20 Lesson Passage: Luke 2:8 – 20 Our lesson centers on giving glory to God. There are expressions within a language that are used to praise someone and hold them dearly in high esteem. We give glory to a person by using these expressions. Glory is the gracious praise or thanksgiving we extend to someone. When we speak of a person’s “glory days”, we speak of a period of time when they are esteemed highly among others for some feat or display of excellence. One eventful night in the land of Judea some shepherds were astonished at the sight of an angel and the shining brightness surrounding him. They were greeted by the angel and told to not be afraid. The angel gave them an incredible report that on that day, a Savior had been born for them. After the shepherds were told how to recognize the newly born Savior, the angel was suddenly accompanied by a large number of heavenly beings who were praising God for His gracious gift to the people of the earth. And then they were all gone. Just the shepherds remained. All the shepherds had to go on was an unexplainable experience and a statement concerning the birth of a special baby. How remarkable that lowly workers would have their nighttime routine of flock watching and protecting interrupted by a display of heavenly beings with an announcement that was sure to turn the world upside down. This was an awe-inspiring event. The shepherds decided to temporarily put their flock in danger and go to Bethlehem to seek this wonder of God. They were convinced that what they had experienced was a true revelation from the Lord. They hurried to Bethlehem seeking the sign the angel had given them. After they found the baby, Mary, and Joseph, they began to tell others about the revelation they received concerning the child. The shepherds’ report did not create a jubilee of praises but rather an air of suspicion. While others tried to figure out what had happened, the shepherds rejoiced because they knew the realness of their experience and that their findings concerning the child’s environment to be as the angel had announced to them. The shepherds praised God and gave Him glory because they believed the angel’s report and had seen the baby for themselves. Others that heard the shepherds’ testimony only wondered about the things they said. I believe that all Christians desire that our testimony move others even as the experience that gave us the testimony moved us. However, we can truly rejoice and give God glory because we know that our experiences are similar to the testimony we receive of others. If it seems that others are not inclined to praise God and give Him glory, it could be because they lack the experience that causes us to rejoice at God’s handiwork. Our praise or adoration for God is not spontaneous but the proper response based on our experience. It is not that we compare our experiences to what has been said or written, but that we first receive a report and then experience the goodness of God based on the report. If the shepherds had remained in the field that night, then all they would have had would have been the experience of seeing and hearing angels. But because they were obedient to the angel’s instructions, they experienced much more. Then they rejoiced and gave glory to God. Robert C. Hudson December 9, 2014