“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
(Luke 2:10-12 NIV)
I am a shepherd. My friends are all shepherds. All I have ever done or known is taking care of sheep, just like my father did, and his father did, and as far back as anyone can remember, we have all taken care of sheep. Sometimes my friends and I sit around the fire and tell stories late into the night, about David before he was king, and how he was a shepherd and took good care of his sheep. He would even risk his life for them, killing a bear and a lion. Maybe he was even tending his sheep in these very hills when God called him to be the next king of Israel.
It was on one of those nights around the fire that we, just like David, had God call upon us. Our conversation had begun to lull and we watched as the flames began to die down. That’s when we noticed for just a moment how quiet it was, but suddenly the air around us became radiant, like daytime. We jumped to our feet, terrified at this phenomenon. Then this beautiful and frightening being appeared out of nowhere. We could not look upon him and we fell to the ground, shaking with fear. He told us to not be afraid and that he had good news for us. That the long awaited Son of David, our Messiah was born and that we could see him in Bethlehem. And then the whole sky lit up brighter than day with the glory of God shining everywhere, and angels declaring praises to Him: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14 NIV). And just as suddenly, they were gone. All was quiet again. We all felt like we were waking from a dream, not certain what had happened or what it meant. From across the valley someone shouted, “Did you see that!” That seemed to bring us to our senses, for we had all seen and heard and felt. Everyone began talking and shouting at once. At last someone said they were going to Bethlehem to see the Messiah and everyone agreed to this plan.
We hurried to the city, and found the baby in the manger, just like the angel had said. When we entered the stable and saw the child, we found ourselves in God’s presence once again. We fell on our faces and worshipped our Lord. When we left and returned to our flocks we shouted and gave praise God who saw fit to visit His people. Now the story we tell is about all we witnessed. Give God the glory, for He is still visiting His people! Have you visited with Him lately?
First published December 6, 1998
Hey, Marty! Have you ever read any of Arnold Ytreeide's Advent books? There are four different ones, each an adventure story centering around a child who experiences the events surrounding Jesus birth, at the end of each chapter (which almost always ends with a cliffhanger) there is a devotional relating to the story and pointing to Jesus. We read "Jotham's Journey" last year for advent and are reading "Bartholomew's Passage" this year. Your story here reminds me of it--really putting the reader into the story of Christmas. Last year when I read the last passage on Christmas Day, when the main character was holding baby Jesus and knew he was holding God himself, I had tears streaming down my cheeks and really felt the joy of Christmas so much deeper than I ever had. Anyway--might be something fun for you to read to your grand baby when he's a bit older!
ReplyDeleteI haven't. I know there are devotionals that use the 1st person, so I will have to check it out. Thanks!
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