14.1.25 Luke 2:8-15
14 January
Prepare
Father God, here I am, I open myself to you. Please reveal yourself to me today, grab my attention by your spirit. Amplify your word and supernaturally highlight the places you want me to find you. Take these moments, pockets of my day and help me grow in new levels of faith.
Take a moment to be still.
Read – Luke 2:8-15
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 Saviour 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 favour 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.”
Reflect
One night in the town of Bethlehem, hidden away in a stable, the Word became flesh. Contrary to popular Christmas songs, the night Jesus was born would not have been a silent night.
All would not have been calm, and all would not have been bright. It would be a night filled with the stench of animals, and the cries of birth pains as Mary delivered this promised rescuer onto a dirty floor now covered in blood. No one would have chosen to have a child there.
No one, except for God. We dress up the nativity and print it on pretty Christmas cards. We make it clean and proper and cast it in porcelain. We do that, but not God. He knew what this world was, and he knew this animal shed would serve as a fitting entrance to a world full of sin and death.
The God who made us was not running from our pain or avoiding our mess. Far from it. He was being delivered straight into it. There, tucked in the straw was the living collision of heaven and earth.
A God who chose shepherds to be one of the first to hear of his coming – culturally of low status, of low influence and considered outsiders. No one is excluded in this story.
Be
(As you breath in) Thank you Father God I’m included in Your story.
(As you breath out) I receive your love for me.
(As you breath in) Thank you that you aren’t afraid or put off by my dirt and brokenness.
(As you breath out) I give you all of me, even the parts I’d rather hide.
Become
Jesus arriving as a baby, in a smelly, dirty stable is a picture of humility. What does humility look like in your life? Take a moment to reflect on your character not your expertise. What does this reveal about who you are becoming?
Begin to pray for the character you long to have.
Do
Who in your world represents the shepherds? Who can you show kindness to who may be looked down on or disregarded?
Ask the Holy Spirit to highlight who you can show God’s love to today.
Practice:
If you are quick to draw attention to your good works, try starting to do some thing’s anonymously. What is it like for you? What does it mean to you to have only God know?