Perhaps you are old enough to remember vintage ambulances from the 1950s. They were little more than station wagons equipped with sirens and emergency lights and served only one purpose: to get patients to the hospital where they could be treated. Since then, medical professionals have learned about the “Golden Hour,” which refers to the brief period following a traumatic injury during which there is the highest likelihood of saving the patient. Modern ambulances are stocked with all sorts of sophisticated life-saving equipment. They are like rolling emergency rooms…because it’s now recognized that immediate response is essential to save patient’s lives.

Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened.

Luke 2:15

Consider the shepherds who were told of Christ’s birth. For them, it was the “golden hour” that required an instant response. They left straightaway for Bethlehem to meet their Savior. The apostle Paul speaks of the spiritual Golden Hour in II Corinthians 6:2: “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”

As you celebrate Christ’s birth this week, pray for new relationships with others who need to meet the Savior. And may America’s citizens and leaders “see this thing that has happened” in Bethlehem – and recognize their need for Him while there’s still time to respond.

Recommended Reading: James 4:13-17