TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13

READ: “And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” Luke 2:20

REFLECT: The shepherds, like the wise men, didn’t have all the answers. And since shepherds were not allowed in the temple (their occupation made them unclean) it’s hard to imagine they even knew much about the prophecies. In other words, they weren’t expecting anything to change and they didn’t have a whole lot of hope for their future.

Imagine their shock when they encountered the Savior, their Savior, in such humble circumstances. What joy they must have felt to realize their Savior really had become one of them. Their Savior was poor, their Savior was homeless, their Savior wasn’t on the social fast track. Yet God chose to save the world he loves through the life of the little baby before their eyes. Their lives were never the same. Their days were probably the same, but their lives – their hearts and their hopes – were never the same again.

Thank God today for the Savior sent for you. Rejoice in the truth that you were on God’s mind when he sent his Son.