And it came to pass, as 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 is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
Luke 2:15-20

In obedience to the angelic announcement the shepherds made their way to Bethlehem. There they saw the baby Jesus. On their way back to the fields, they told everyone about what they saw. They also glorified and praised God. Luke 2:20 tells us precisely why they glorified and praise God. They praised God because of the things they had heard and because of the things they had seen. They praised God for His promises. The angelic messenger told them that in Bethlehem they would find the Messiah, the promised descendant of David who was their God and would be their Savior. God had promised this Messiah on the day of man’s sin. Over the millennia to follow God revealed more and more details of that promised Salvation. These shepherds heard the promise of God delivered to them directly that night. They praised Him for His promises. They not only heard the promise, they saw it fulfilled. They went to Bethlehem and saw there the Messiah and Savior lying in a manger. They believed this was the fulfillment of God’s promises and rejoiced at seeing God do what He said He would do. They praised Him for His provision. As we go our many different ways this Christmas, let us go praising Him for His promises and provision.