BY DAWN REED
“And there were shepherds…” (Luke 2:8-20). How fitting.
Moses had been one for many years and then became a shepherd to the people of Israel in the desert.
David had been a shepherd as a boy. He penned our most favored Psalm. Often seen on cards or shared at funerals, Psalm 23 shares David’s heart about his relationship with his Heavenly Father: The “LORD is my shepherd.” He leads, He restores, He guides, He protects, He comforts—all characteristics of a Good Shepherd.
In the New Testament, Jesus proclaimed, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:4). And He did!
Yes, it was fitting that the good news came first to the shepherds.
Being a shepherd was a dirty job. A hard job. A not-fun job. God can work in our work, even when times are dark. Work as unto the Lord when it’s difficult, when it’s not your forever place of employment. God can show up in great ways if we ask Him to and are watching.
Into the darkness, the light came. It was an explosion of God’s glory.
The shepherds likely double-blinked at the first angel, and then there was a “host” – a multitude, a swarm, a pack, a throng – of angelic beings praising God. “Glory to God in the highest,” they belted out. Countless Christmas songs have come from their words of praise.
I’ve been fixated on those guys in the field this week. I keep thinking of what they didn’t do.
The shepherds did not stay where they were. They had a word from the Lord and it caused them to move. Henry Blackaby wrote in Experiencing God, “You can’t stay where you are and go with God.”
The shepherds did not put it off. When God speaks/leads, it’s time for action. If they had put it off, they might have missed Jesus.
The shepherds did not wait for another sign. God had spoken in the form of a zillion angels. They didn’t need another confirmation.
The shepherds did not keep the good news to themselves. “When they had seen Him, they spread the word.” (Verse 17). Does someone in your path need to hear the good news?
The shepherds did not take a class in evangelism. I say this for myself. For years and years, I took every evangelism class I could find. My heart’s desire was to share the good news, but I was terrified. Finally, I had to just do it.
My heart swells as I read this part of the Christmas story. God used ordinary people to accomplish His plan. Ordinary guys working an ordinary job on an ordinary night. God met them where they were and changed everything. He’s famous for that!