Another Reflection from Christmas and Shepherds

Though, the official day set-aside celebrate Christmas has passed, there is still so much truth to gain from the birth, life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many are taking down the Christmas decorations today, and much of the Christmas music will soon stop playing if it has not already.

I wonder if the shepherds understood that God himself sent his angel to include them in the beginning of the greatest miracle mankind would ever experience!  Did they sense how deeply God valued and blessed them by delivering the greatest news of all!  Was this the proof they had searched and prayed for that the God of the universe saw them in their humble condition? Were they overwhelmed to the point of tears and shouts of joy, or speechless that God saw fit to make his fleshly appearance into his own creation?    Did they understand the glorious invitation God was extending to them?   What an honor it must've been the shepherds to discover that God Almighty issued them an invitation to witness the living God becoming man! See Luke 2:8 – 20. Note that verse 20 says it happened just as they had been told. Further evidence that God delivered on his done promise! I can't help but think, maybe the better question is do we understand that we are given the same wonderful invitation that was extended to the shepherds? Likewise, we should have the same response as the shepherds, to the fact that God has issued an invitation to us for redemption, reconciliation, and relationship with him! My previous post was entitled the Promise Fulfilled and Delivered. This is just one of the many ways God has proven himself faithful repeatedly. You and I can rest assured that when God promises to be with us, and to secure eternity for us: he will make good on those promises.  The shepherds went as an act of faith. They proclaimed as an act of obedience, and they worshiped as expression of love and devotion... Perhaps, it was even partly desperation that caused them to go quickly after the angel appeared. The likelihood is that no one paid a lot of attention to the shepherds, but God used the shepherds as part of his miraculous plan. The shepherds are both a testament to heartfelt worship, and were chosen as instruments to declare  the miraculous, to those willing to hear. Finally, I wonder if my response to Christ and the miracle of salvation, is the same as those of the shepherds?  I'm so glad to God chose to make the shepherds part of his plan. The same way, I am glad that he has allowed you and I to partake in the wonder and joy of the gospel!  What a lesson we can learn from the shepherds, not only about worship, or missions, but also in discovering our value and worth to God!

Questions to ponder:

1.      How am I similar and/or different from the shepherds spiritually speaking?

How does the account of the shepherds and the birth of Christ affect me and those around me?