That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly an angel appeared among them, and the landscape shone bright with the glory of the Lord. They were badly frightened, but the angel reassured them.
“Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born tonight in Bethlehem! How will you recognize him? You will find a baby wrapped in a blanket, lying in a manger!”
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
In our day and age, we have become pretty skeptical…and rightly so. We receive telephone calls from someone at our “credit card company” or our “insurer” saying he/she needs to verify our account data. Someone in my area recently had a knock at the door from a person who insisted he was with the utility company - and if she did not pay $500 right away, her power would be turned off! Friends and grandparents get calls from someone pretending to be us…in serious trouble and needing money wired right away. You probably know of other scams that have occurred in your community – or even to you or someone you know.
So if I were minding my own business in my yard and someone appeared and told me that I needed to go into town and see the newborn Messiah, I might not believe them. Granted, if they appeared in the aura of a bright light and brought “backup singers”, I might give them a second consideration! But still…haven’t we all heard news reports of someone who supposedly saw a “bright light” and maybe some “life forms” within it? And didn’t we laugh and shake our heads and wonder about their sanity!
Let me be clear…I do not expect our Heavenly Father to send angels to stand before me and herald any revelation in the near future. But I do know that God will show up…today…in the next few minutes and hours…someway…somehow. He will guide me…plant thoughts in my head about tasks I need to accomplish and people I need to address in some manner. He will direct my path and reveal opportunities to bless - and to be blessed. I hope I recognize all of them. I don’t want to miss out on a single thing that God has in store for me!
Thankfully, the shepherds had not become cynical and dubious. They had probably not been the victims of scam artists…and most assuredly, there had been no telemarketers to disrupt their dinner hour or the baby’s nap time! But they must have certainly been astounded by the news they received…not to mention the method with which it was delivered. And yet, they recognized the presence of God…and heeded His call. Can you say the same in your own life? Isn’t it time you could?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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