The Shepherds - He Holds My Hand
The Shepherds Glory to God in the highest of heavens! And peace to the people with whom he is pleased! And who are these people? With whom does the good Lord choose to take his pleasure? The shepherds. The plain and nameless—whose every name the Lord knows very well. You. And me. Walter Wangerin Jr. Dear one, do you know how special you are to Me? Sometimes you pull away because you feel unworthy or unaccepted—but those feelings do not come from Me. The enemy wants you to feel unimportant and unqualified to give others the news of My Son’s birth, death, and resurrection. If he succeeds, you withdraw from conversations that lead people to seriously consider the Good News of the gospel. Think about those who tended the flocks on the night of Jesus’ birth. These shepherds were not high-society people; they were not held in high esteem. They slept among the sheep and were regarded as lowly men, excluded from Temple worship because they were considered unclean. Their culture deemed them unworthy, but I chose them to be among the first to hear about the birth of Jesus. They are significant to Me—and so are you. That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.” Luke 2:8-10
