OUR DAILY BREAD                               Monday, December 26, 1994
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Read: Luke 2:8-20



                                  Letdown


                         Mary kept all these things
                            and pondered them...
                        Then the shepherds returned,
                          glorifying and praising
                                    God.

                                Luke 2:19-20



The night of Jesus' birth was exciting for Mary and Joseph. There before 
their eyes was a miracle baby whose coming into the world had been 
announced by an angel. The shepherds too saw and heard a "multitude of 
the heavenly host" praising God and heralding His birth (Luke 2:13). How 
thrilling!

But a few days later, Mary and Joseph would be faced with the ordinary 
tasks of caring for a new baby and all the accompanying responsibilit-
ies. The shepherds would be back on the hillside tending their sheep. 
All the elements were in place for an emotional letdown, which often 
follows an emotional high.

I don't believe they experienced any "after-Christmas blues," however, 
Mary didn't quickly forget all that had happened, and the shepherds 
couldn't easily forget what they had heard and seen (Luke 2:19-20). The 
angelic message had proven true, and their lives were filled with new 
hope and anticipation.

Two thousand years later, we have the full story. Jesus came to die for 
our sins, then conquered death for us by rising from the grave. We have 
more truth to ponder and more reason to glorify God than did Mary and 
the shepherds. We need to experience an after-Christmas letdown.

- Herbert Vander Lugt

Life's ebb and flow that moves our hearts
From heights of joy to feelings low
Cannot exhaust God's matchless grace
Nor stem that never-ending flow.

- DJD

The Bible in Year: Revelation 4-6

Thought for the Day: Feeling let down today? Try looking up.
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