Daily Reading: Luke 2
Scripture Focus: And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. (Luke 2.8-10)
Devotional Thought: Over two thousand years ago, in a sleepy little village near Jerusalem, God broke into history in a new way. God had appeared in dramatic ways before: at the Red Sea with parted waters, on Mt. Sinai with lightning and thunder, on Mt. Carmel with a consuming fire. But this appearance in Bethlehem was quiet. This time, God came to stay, to become flesh and live among us.
When God inaugurated this new era, the heavens shone with the glory of God. Angels came and explained what was happening to some humble shepherds who were working the night shift. This is meaningful for two reasons. First, they were going about their life’s work when God interrupted them. Often, when we least expect it, God breaks into our lives. Praise God for these surprises. Also, it happened in the darkness of night. Life’s path is not always easy, not always safe, not always clear. Sometimes we are shrouded in darkness and despair. Into the darkness, however, the light of God comes!
I love what those sleepy shepherds, now fully awake, said. “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us” (v. 15). When God breaks into our lives, we need to pay attention! I heard someone once say, “God never speaks to me.” To which another replied, “That’s because you’re not listening!”
Are you listening?
Prayer: Lord, I know that you come to me in many ways, but I also recognize that I am prone to overlook your "still, small voice." Help me to hear you, Lord, to greet you, to trust you, and to obey you. Amen.
Psalm of the Day: 1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the LORD has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. (Psalms 133:1-3)
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