Luke 2:15
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

“When the angels had left them.”
Immediately after this event is the critical time. What now? Will these men sit down around a campfire and discuss what just happened? Will they go back to their normal routine? What the shepherds should do had been clearly implied. Will they do it?

By the use of the imperfect tense Luke shows very explicitly these men never hesitated. What about the care of the sheep? The shepherds must have found a solution. The angel said, “You will find.” So, they must go and search. And they were eager to do so.

At this point the original contains a couple words which need special mention. One of them is a little word of two letters. Often it means indeed; in this context it is best expressed “now” or “at once,” or “without delay.”

There is also the verbal form which basically means “Let us go through (to),” “Let us go over (to).” This probably implies that these men had to cover an appreciable distance, perhaps several miles, in order to reach Bethlehem. The place was not right next door.

Nevertheless, realizing it was God Himself who, through His angels, had spoken to them, they left immediately.

What would have happened if the shepherds had decided it was too much effort to travel that far?

Have you ever “put off” responding to God?

God’s direction almost always causes us to change our plans!