Daily Devotional For Thursday, December 14, 2023

Our word for today is — WATCHING. I’m referring specifically to the shepherds. The Bible says that on the night Jesus was born, this in Luke 2:8-18, “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. (9) Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, (10) but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. (11) The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! (12) And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” (13) Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, (14) “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” (15) When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”(16) They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. (17) After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this Child. (18) All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished” (NLT).

It’s amazing to me that God chose shepherds to be the first evangelists. He didn’t send his angels to the Chief Priests or religious leaders. In fact, not one religious leader was informed by God of the birth of the Messiah. That ought to tell you something there.  They didn’t appear to the political power brokers of the day. God sent his message to a bunch of blue-collar workers — ordinary guys, working at ordinary jobs, just trying to scrape out an ordinary living. We don’t even know their names. They weren’t spiritual giants. They weren’t even in church or a Bible study when it happened. What were they doing? They were watching their flocks at night. In other words, they were just doing their job.

What’s it like to watch a flock of sheep? Pretty boring, I would suspect. What’s it like to watch a flock of sheep by night? Pretty dark and boring, most likely. Their job was to protect the flock from predators such as wolves, coyotes, bears, and mountain lions. The last thing you would expect to see would be anything remotely interesting. Certainly not an army of angels telling you to go find a baby lying in a feeding trough. Aren’t you supposed to count sheep to fall asleep? Staying awake must have been the toughest part of their job.

Shepherds weren’t high up on the social ladder in those days. They were at the bottom of the ladder. They were outcasts from respectable society. In fact, their honesty and integrity were so questionable that shepherds were not even allowed to testify in court. Yet the Bible says in Luke 2:17-18, “After seeing Him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this Child. (18) All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished” (NLT).

They must have been pretty convincing. But with a reputation like that, why would God choose shepherds to be the first to spread the news? In the Old Testament, the two greatest leaders of Israel started off as shepherds. Both Moses and David were shepherds whom God called to keep watch over his people; His flock. So it seems appropriate that God would choose shepherds to be the first people to find Jesus, the Lamb of God, and to tell others about Him. Or perhaps it was professional courtesy, because after all, Jesus is the Good Shepherd. 

But we should be watching God’s sheep as we wait for the second return of Jesus. The Bible describes it this way in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. (17) Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever” (NLT). The final chapter on the Messiah is yet to take place. So, be ready.  Be watching and be busy serving the Lord until He returns. 

This is the point of Jesus’ words in Mark 13:34-37, “The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return. (35) You, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know when the master of the household will return—in the evening, at midnight, before dawn, or at daybreak. (36) Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. (37) I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for Him!”

Scripture To Meditate On: Psalm 23:1, The Lord is my shepherd;  I have all that I need” (NLT).

Prayer to Pray: “Lord, God, thank You that You work through ordinary people to bring the extraordinary news of Your great grace and mercy. Just as You used the shepherds as they kept watch over their flocks to be the first messengers of Jesus’ birth, we ask that You would use us, as we go about our business, to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to people who need to hear it. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”