In the dark of night

Christmas has passed, but the impact of what this day celebrates is still resounding in my heart. As a doula and mother of 8, birth gets my heart pounding a little extra...but this birth. This birth that we celebrate with lights and trees and gifts and gatherings, this birth is different. The announcement of this long-awaited birth propelled the angels forward with songs of rejoicing! As I read afresh the story of Christ's coming as a babe in Luke 2, my eyes settled on a different angle. The story unfolded from a new perspective. I saw it from the hearts of the shepherds, a hard-working people, roughened by the elements of their environment, battling beasts, withstanding the cold and dark of night while remaining alert and conscious of surrounding predators, and persevering through the heat of day as they led their flock to those still waters and green pastures. It was these people that encountered an angel of the Lord under the dark cloak of night announcing the good news that their long- awaited Messiah, their Savior, their Rescuer had been born. I'd imagine that they among all people understood the fullness of what Savior and Rescuer meant as they too would have stood in that position over their flock at times. As we see with David in 1 Samuel 36 who in attempts to protect his flock killed bears and lions with his bare hands. These shepherds understood that to rescue and to save was to sacrifice and to serve at all costs on behalf of another. These shepherds were out in the fields just doing what it was that they did. They weren't trying to conquer the world or climb some career ladder or be something "extra."They were just being who they were, doing what they were trained to do, and in that place God intervened with the greatest news their ears would ever hear and from that place the trajectory of their lives could be forever changed.

The announcement of this baby born that was an announcement of no ordinary baby. This baby was the prophesied Emmanuel, the Word made flesh, the Light of the World, The Truth, the Way, and the Life through which all of mankind could be saved and have access to the Father. The Bible says in Luke 2:15 that when the angels returned to Heaven, the shepherds agreed to go to Bethlehem to see this thing that had happened, which the Lord told them about. Once having seen the Christ, they returned to the fields ecstatic over what they had heard and seen for themselves. They worshiped and praised the Lord, glorifying Him over what they had just experienced first hand!

Several things begin to bubble over in me when I read this! First, they believed what they had heard from the angel of the Lord so much so that they left what they were doing and went the direction of the Lord! In that field, where they stood, there was no proof of this birth. No sounds of a mother birthing, a baby crying, a father rejoicing. But they went by faith. Suddenly, at the Word of the Lord their present position faded away and they pursued the greater One. They believed the report of the Lord. What is the Lord telling you? Will you believe the report of the Lord and walk in the direction of His voice when all that you see tells you otherwise?

Second, they encountered the angel of the Lord in the midst of doing their nightly tasks. In this- there lies a great reminder that no cloak of darkness is ever to thick for the voice of the Lord to penetrate! Fear not. Also, I wonder... if these shepherds readily recognized the angel of the Lord and his voice because they worked with such an awareness of their surroundings on behalf of their flock. How aware am I, are you, of your surroundings and the voices that we hear in the midst of our daily grind? Scripture tells us in 1 Peter 5 to be alert and watchful. We are told in other places to be ready in and out of season, prepared to give an answer. We are also encouraged to abide in Christ and remain in constant communication with Him through unceasing prayer... These practices would certainly aid us in being aware of what our Father is doing and all that He is birthing in our lives. Our keenness of the Father is not solely about or for us, but for those around us.

And lastly, Christ- born to shepherd and die that we might have life abundant. Truly, our greatest example of Love and obedience to the Father at all costs. The life of a Shepherd- to tend, to lead, to protect, to nourish. Who have we been given to shepherd? What lessons can we glean from the shepherds that night or better yet from our great Shepherd, the Lord Jesus?

May you too see and hear for yourself the great and mighty things that have been and are being accomplished on your behalf by the great I AM and, in that, return to your flock ecstatic and rejoicing over Jesus, the One who goes before you in all things!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWjSmlpbbW0 "Fade Away" Passion

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Isaiah 53 New King James Version (NKJV)

The Sin-Bearing Messiah

53 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no [a]form or [b]comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no [c]beauty that we should desire Him. 3 He is despised and [d]rejected by men, A Man of [e]sorrows and acquainted with [f]grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

4 Surely He has borne our [g]griefs And carried our [h]sorrows; Yet we [i]esteemed Him stricken, [j]Smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded[k] for our transgressions, He was [l]bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes[m] we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord [n]has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 8 He was taken from [o]prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 9 And [p]they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the Lord to [q]bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. 11 [r]He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the [s]spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.