Sometimes, when we’ve heard and read the Christmas story every year, over and over, we can have a tendency of it becoming common and we skip over the details. So for a moment, go Imagineering with me. Place yourself out in a field on a dark, starry night. Your flock of sheep around, some sleeping, some grazing and a particular cuddly one comes up to nuzzle you. You settle in for the long night, keeping watch over the sheep and making conversation with the other shepherds with you. Then all of a sudden from pitch darkness there is blinding light with an angel there before you.
If you were there in the field, how do you think you would have felt in that moment? It’s no wonder the first words the angel said to the shepherds were “fear not!” The shepherds were not prepared for the sudden appearance of an angel. It wasn’t like they sat around and said to one another, “I wonder if tonight will be the night we see an angel.” We hear the story after the event occurred, but they did not have a Sunday school teacher who prepared them for this glorious night. They didn’t sit around the flannel graph board with a teacher saying, “Now boys, live right and one day when you grow up you just might see an angel in the night while you watch your sheep.” The fear they felt was genuine…and you would have felt the same.
What if Jesus suddenly appeared to you and had a message for you today? Would you, like the shepherds be afraid? Would you be prepared? Would your home be prepared and ready to welcome Him in? Would your heart be prepared to praise Him and worship Him? The angels sang the first praise song the night of His birth. The shepherds went quickly to find the baby in the manger and worship Him. Once they had worshiped Him, they went out and told everyone they saw all that had happened that night. Are you prepared to share your story of what God has done for you?
As you prepare your heart for Christmas, take time to sing His praise, worship Him, and tell others about Him.
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