“The Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
Luke 2:20
The days following Christmas can leave us feeling a bit let down. Our decorations look dusty and tired. Pine needles fall from the tree. A few neighbors immediately take down their Christmas lights and outdoor displays. And of course, everyone pulls the plug on the holiday songs.
As believers in Jesus, we need not feel depressed after Christmas. The sparkle and glitter are packed away, but the real joy lasts forever because Jesus lasts forever. We don’t put Him away until next December. He is with us always, even to the end of time (see Matthew 28:20).
While we have school, jobs, meetings, and obligations to get back to, we remember the last verse in Luke’s account of the nativity story: “The Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God.” They left the manger and returned to their work glorifying God! Society still saw them as unfit for temple worship, unqualified to give a testimony in court, and stereotyped as delinquents. But they were changed.
Let the truth of Immanuel—God with us—change you too and fill you with lasting joy.
As believers in Jesus, we need not feel depressed after Christmas. The sparkle and glitter are packed away, but the real joy lasts forever because Jesus lasts forever. We don’t put Him away until next December. He is with us always, even to the end of time (see Matthew 28:20).
While we have school, jobs, meetings, and obligations to get back to, we remember the last verse in Luke’s account of the nativity story: “The Shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God.” They left the manger and returned to their work glorifying God! Society still saw them as unfit for temple worship, unqualified to give a testimony in court, and stereotyped as delinquents. But they were changed.
Let the truth of Immanuel—God with us—change you too and fill you with lasting joy.
Scripture Focus
1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
Insight
“Joy is the serious business of heaven.” (C.S.Lewis, 1964)
Bible In A Year
- Zephaniah 1-3
- Proverbs 26
- Revelation 8-10