Over the course of my life, certain messages have exerted a profound effect on me: It’s a girl! . . . I do! . . . You don’t have cancer! . . . The vote was unanimous!
With each short sentence, my life changed dramatically. And that was when people spoke to me.
When God spoke, a universe came into being. He spoke and dead people came to life. God declared, “. . . I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word” (Is. 66:2).
During the Christmas season, I am reminded of how shocking it must have been when the sleepy shepherds were startled by the appearance of an angel declaring, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:9). The earthly arrival of the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah, was the greatest news the world had ever heard, and it came at an unexpected moment to an unlikely audience.
Shepherds occupied one of the lower rungs of society. Some of the Israelites’ great ancestors such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and David had been shepherds, but it was not considered a respectable profession. Those working the night shift would have occupied the lowest rung. Yet God dispatched an angel to ensure those people heard the good news first. Today when people want the world to know something, they release the news on the most popular media outlets. But God often entrusts his good news into the hands of the most ordinary people.
I wish I knew what happened to those shepherds. Many likely died before the Messiah reached manhood. Some may have eventually become his followers. They surely must have retold their story countless times to their children and grandchildren. But did that announcement change the way they lived and worked? Did it change the way they prayed or worshipped? I’d like to think it did. These men would have held a low view of themselves and their station in life. They would have lived as defeated people under the powerful occupation of the Roman Empire. They may have suffered the taunts of Roman soldiers, or even fellow Jews, as people despised and ridiculed them. But one message from God changed everything.
We live in a world awash with bad news. Twenty-four-hour news outlets gush forth a continuous narrative of tragedy, scandal, and violence. Life can also be difficult as we face disease, a volatile economy, and a polarized culture. Yet we are each only one word from God away from a dramatically changed life.
During the Christmas season, I always try to take time to pull away with my Bible and immerse myself in the words of God. I take my journal and pray over concerns in my life and search God’s word for his answer. I need a word from God now as much as I ever have. I suspect you do too.
But remember this: No matter how difficult or discouraging your circumstances may be, you are just one word from God away from the most amazing life you could imagine. Stay alert, and keep listening.
