Keep Watch
It is the 24th of December, the year 2021. Yes, it is Christmas Eve and this is your friend, Angus Buchan with a thought for today.
“Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Luke 21:36
If ever we needed to be alert, it is in these days where there is so much on the go. There is so much information being put out there, people don’t know what to do or where to go. This is the time to watch and pray.
If we go to 1 Thessalonians 5:6, the word of God says:
“Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”
It is not a time just to throw caution to the wind. Like never before, we really need to be wide awake. I want to say to you today that the Lord Jesus Christ is on our side, He is looking after us and He is right with us.
“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch (Can you hear that - keeping watch) over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
For there is born to you this day in the city of David (that is Bethlehem) a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”Luke 2:8-14
Watch and pray - Oh, my dear friends, those shepherds, why did they see the angel and why did the angel speak to them first? Because they were awake and they were watching over their flocks. While the rest of the people in Bethlehem were sound asleep, while the king in Jerusalem was sound asleep, the shepherds were awake. We need to be alert, we need to be awake and we need to hear from God. We need to spend time with the Lord. The early bird always catches the worm, and that is not a joke, it is a fact. We really need to be waiting on the Lord.
One of my uncles in Scotland was a shepherd. He was asthmatic from when he was a little boy. But you know what I saw in that old gentleman? I saw someone who was alert, he was patient and he watched his flock - he had lots of time. He didn’t make bad decisions because he didn’t have the strength or the energy to do so, but he was always right on the job.
I want to say to you today, let's take time out to wait on the Lord and let us pray without ceasing. I will speak to you tomorrow morning and I will be wishing you a very, very blessed Christmas.
God bless you and goodbye.