December 5, 2020

Today’s Hope
Written by Guest Writer, Joy Mathis Chadwick

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” Luke 2:8 KJV

We have had cattle in years past on our small farm. One of the most comforting sounds ever to this country gal is to sit on the back porch, watching and listening as the cattle make their way back to the front side of the pasture after having spent much of their day on the far side. Depending on the wind, sometimes you can hear them munching before they make the trek up the knoll and get within sight of the porch. A contented cow, munching away – it’s a country pleasure. Because we only had just a few old cows, we could easily keep watch over them and see to their needs; they made it easy for us when they would gather in front of the back porch as the sun went down; but they still needed to be watched over and cared for. Watching the cattle from the back porch brought up all kinds of questions in my mind about the shepherds whose charge was to watch over their sheep in a pasture several thousand years ago.

I wonder if those shepherds that Luke wrote about were aware that they had been chosen from the beginning of time to be the very first ones to stand in awe as the angel announced the birth of our Savior. There were jobs much more noble than being a shepherd; it was not a career of high esteem. Yet they were the ones who were CHOSEN for this most special night in the history of the world; the announcement didn’t come first to the rich or the most popular or the powerful rulers of Bethlehem. Can you just imagine their shock during this dark lonely night when they looked up and there was the angel, and not only the angel, but the glory of the Lord shining around them. The Bible tells us that they were terrified.

I have heard that these shepherds might have been those whose job it was to supply the lambs for the temple sacrifices that were performed for the forgiveness of sin. And on this most glorious night, they were the first to receive the invitation to greet the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the whole world forever. Never doubt for one minute that God isn’t in the smallest of details!

Did you ever sense that God was bringing news to you? Has God ever placed a calling on your heart that completely terrified you? That’s the logical response, isn’t it? Our first thoughts are that we’re not qualified, we’re not important enough, we’re not ready. But when we get used to the idea, it gets a little less terrifying, but that incredible awe of God’s calling never goes away.

What an amazing gift to be called by the Creator of the World! What an amazing honor to be chosen by God, who could have chosen anyone else in the world who might be more important, more qualified, more appropriate! God knew before the beginning of the world that He had a special gift or calling for each one of us; He knows us by name; He knows the very number of the hairs on our head; He knows what our response will be when He calls.

He’s calling us today to give us some really good news – good tidings of great joy that will be for all people!