“The Best News Ever!”

Key Verse: Luke 2:10b-11

“… I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord- has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David.”

Additional Reading: Luke 2:9-20

I took the title of today’s devotion from the contemporary song, “The Best News Ever”, by MercyMe. I thought of this song when I came to our scripture for today. An angel of the Lord announced to the shepherds: I bring you good news. But as the song implies, “good news” is an understatement; it really is the best news ever! Think with me what it meant to us personally when Jesus came to this earth. The old covenant was replaced with the New Covenant which means that obeying every single man-made law so that we can please God is over. We no longer depend on external laws but now the Holy Spirit lives within us and will guide us into all truth.

The Best News Ever includes the fact that God sees you, loves you, and wants to walk with you in everyday life. Sometimes we think of God’s intervention is only during the tough days, when things seem to be going against us, but the Best News Ever says God is with us in ordinary days, when nothing seems particularly good or bad. God is watching over you each day, granting you new mercies every morning. The Best News Ever means that many things are prevented from happening on those ordinary days. I’m convinced that God is working to protects us even when we can’t feel Him or see His work.

Do you realize that when life throws us some tough issues, God has already examined those issues and has determined that you are able to get through them? Isn’t that the Best News Ever? The Bible reminds us that we can do everything through Christ, who gives us the strength (Philippians 4:13).Tthat means every single issue that comes into your life is within your ability to handle… that really is the Best News Ever!

Another aspect of this fantastic news is that God invites you to ask Him for anything. In Philippians 4:6, the Apostle Paul writes that rather than worrying about problems, we should pray about everything! Jesus himself taught us to “keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you”, (Matthew 7:7). Just a few verses after this wonderful promise, Jesus reminds us that God loves to give good gifts to His children. (Matthew 7:11). In my opinion, Jesus is telling us that even if you ask for something that in the long run would not be in your best interest, God will filter those prayers and only give you the things that are truly good for you. Isn’t that the Best News Ever?

Though I could fill pages full of reasons why the Gospel is the Best News Ever, let me include one more thing. God knows all your needs and plans to give those to you before you even ask (Matthew 6:7-8)! This means that even if you forget to ask for something, your Father in Heaven sees it and gives it!

Father, help me to grasp this news that Jesus brought to the earth when He came. Help me not to forget that all your promises have been made “Yes”, because of Jesus. In Jesus’s Name, amen.