WRITTEN BY TIM LABRECHE
Sheila and I went to a concert last December. We went to see For King & Country’s Christmas show in Sioux Falls. Their rendition of A Little Drummer Boy is a Christmas classic and is incredible to experience in concert! It starts with a single snare drum and then rapidly escalates with the pounding of timpanis, the reverberation of base drums and various other percussion instruments in unison of beat. It’s an incredible experience live and in concert.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
(Luke 2:8-15)
Can you imagine what it must have been like for those shepherds?!?!? First, an angel of the Lord appeared to them out of nowhere and then to see the heavenly choir appear and praising God. Their hearts must have been beating like those drums. But that’s not the really exciting part of the story…
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
(Luke 2:16-20)
Do you understand why they were so excited? The child that was just born was the only person EVER that could save them. You see, God’s Word tells us in Romans that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) That sin separates us from our Heavenly Father. Isaiah 59:2 states that our iniquities have separated us from God and hidden his face from us. When Jesus, the young baby born in the bed of hay and straw, ultimately dies on that cross at Calvary, he saved us by dying in our place. You see, all of our sins, what kept us distant from our Heavenly Father, were nailed on that cross with Jesus. The shepherds saw in that manger, the Savior of the World! The one who was to rescue them, their Messiah, their Lord! He was there with them. What does it say they did? They spread the word of what (and who) they saw.
So, let me ask you a question. Is your heart beating like the drums from the concert? Are you so excited to share the Good News of the Gift given to us that your heart beats heavily in anticipation? You and I have the same opportunity as the shepherds. We have the ability to have daily communication with the one who saved us. As believers, we have a relationship with the Gift that saved us. As we spend time in the Word, as we pray and as we take the time to listen, we are communing with our Heavenly Father. We need to follow the shepherds’ example and spread the word of what we’ve seen and heard. Don’t let the fear of “What will others think of me?” stop you. Your responsibility is to share. Our Father will work in the hearts of those who hear.
Lastly, I want to encourage you to follow the shepherds’ example again. Luke 2:20 states that “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” They gave glory to our God. One thing that I’ve seen as a consistent theme as I’ve been preparing our Prayer Focus’ throughout 2018, is that the main purpose of everything we do is to glorify our King.
Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his dwelling place.
Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
(1 Chronicles 16:23-29 NIV)
