Friday's Verse of the Day Devotional

Good morning! Sometimes, something really great happens to us and then the reality of life hits us leaving us with the question of, "what now?" I remember when my first child was born, and though I had tremendous joy, the reality that I had a kid to take care of for the first time set in. No matter how much I prepared and studied on how to be a good dad and practiced on dolls to change diapers, this wasn't a drill. This was real. It was overwhelming. But my kids are ordinary kids. They aren't the divine Son of God.

I remember all the people that came to visit to see the new baby. And though I was afraid because I wanted to do everything right, I still learned to ponder these things in my heart and take in the moments I was experiencing. In the Christmas story, Mary did the same thing; she pondered these things in her heart, all throughout Jesus' life.

There were many people that came to visit Jesus, to see the newborn king. But the first ones that were told were shepherds. And rightly so, because who better to be told about the birth of a Lamb than shepherds? And where else should they come to see Him, but a barn? They didn't come to a palace or a great cathedral, but God led them to a barn. In which they came and worshiped. We should learn a lesson from the shepherds, in that our first response to Jesus should be worship. When we worship Him, we recognize Him for who He truly is.

In the midst of all the chaos of Christmas and now ushering in a new year, don't forget to take time to think about Jesus. Ponder all the things He's done in your heart and build a memorial there. To always remind you of the goodness of God. It's easy to get discouraged, and even lost in grief of those who are no longer with us for this season. But choose to focus on Jesus, and worship Him for who He is. In doing so, He will give you the strength that you need to always make a great day!