12-24-05 Luke 2:15

Luke 2:15 (KJ21)
And it came to pass, when 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 has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."

Luke 2:15 (NAS)
And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

Luke 2:15 (NIVUS)
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

Luke 2:15 (NLT)
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, "Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us

Even if angels appear to you, giving you a message, it is wise for you to check it out. You should see if the words spoken to you are in line with God's word. You should also be peaceful about what was spoken and should not step out on a word unless you believe it is truly from Adonai.

These shepherds had beheld a great thing when the host of Heaven's angels appeared to herald the birth of our Savior. However, after the angels went away, the shepherds were quick to acknowledge that they needed to behold what God's messengers had proclaimed. Like any good shepherd, they needed to find out the Truth of what they had been told; so that they could protect and provide for the sheep in their charge.

It was actually to their advantage that they should go to the manger together; for their mutual experience would help strengthen their faith. It was also good for them to go quickly after they heard God's word, since that would prevent Satan, the enemy of faith, from deceiving them and stealing that word from them.

They traveled to Bethlehem, which means "house of bread"; it was a place of sustenance and life. The Lord God, the giver of life, chose this place for the birth of His Son. The shepherds desired to discover and perceive with their own eyes the marvelous things that they had been told. This did not show a lack of faith, but, in fact, was a validation of their faith. God's word is always strong enough to withstand the minutest scrutiny. The more knowledge one gains of God's word the more his faith grows.

The shepherds knew that the Most High had spoken to them and they stepped out on the faith of God's word. If they had not gone to Bethlehem, they may never have seen Jesus Christ, their Savior and Lord. So also it is with you. You must decide to quickly act on the word that God speaks to you. When you do that, you will always find yourself in a place of bread and provision. And you will behold the glory of the Lord!