“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which shall be for all people.” Luke 2:10 (ESV)

Have you ever noticed how many times the word “behold” appears in the Christmas story? I’m talking about the real Christmas story, not the movie! If you’ve never read it in the Gospel of Luke, I triple dog dare you to check it out today. “Behold” means to see, not just with our eyes, but with perception and understanding.

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and said, “Behold! You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus” (Luke 1:31).  After this, an angel later appeared to Joseph and said, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (Matthew 1:23).  But wait, the angels weren’t finished yet! Angels appeared to a group of shepherds who were keeping watch over their sheep. The angel said, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people” (Luke 2:10). Why do we need to be told to behold? Why do we need to fix our gaze and focus with understanding?  Because God is moving!

Greg is so observant, and he has the most amazing intuition. When he walks into a room, he doesn’t just see faces—he recognizes people and can recall details about them for me. One time, we were having lunch at a little café in New York. Suddenly, Greg said, “Give me your cell phone…now!” This got my attention because he usually asks me to put that phone away at lunch! “Cathe,” he continued, “Give me your phone. I want to take your picture.” “Not now Greg,” I responded. “Let’s just eat our lunch.” He pleaded. “Sweetheart, I’m telling you, this is a picture you are going to like!” It was obvious that the only way to end this battle was to relent, so I smiled and let him take the picture. He handed my phone back to me, and I put it down on the table and continued with lunch. But Greg was persistent. “Did you even look at that picture? Look at it again!” Finally, I realized what all the fuss was about this photo. It wasn’t just a photo of me—it was a photo of me with supermodel Cindy Crawford sitting directly behind me! Some of you millennials may be wondering, who in the world is that?  Maybe you’ll know her daughter, Kaia Gerber, who is also a model.

Here’s my point. With all the busyness and distractions in our lives, it’s so easy to miss seeing what is right there in the moment. Listen, we can’t continue to live life half asleep. While you’re working, washing dishes, carpooling, going to school, and fulfilling all your ordinary duties, open your eyes to see what God is doing! Don’t miss out on the wonderful things He is putting together for you. When we change our perspective, we see that God has been there all along.

His fingerprints and handiwork are all over your life, my friend.

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, okay…that sounds great…but where is God? You may be in a difficult marriage asking, where is He?  Or perhaps you’re struggling with finances right now and wondering, where is He? I know some of you are thinking, I am still single…so where is He? Please hear me on this: He is there with you, wherever you are. What if—right here, right now—God is reminding you to behold Him?  Behold Him, right here, holding on to your heart. Don’t miss out on what He has to say to you today. Dive into His Word and allow Him to speak to you. Run to Him. He is waiting with open arms.