Midweek Encouragement - "To Humble Shepherds”

"To Humble Shepherds”

  ^{He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly.}

^{Luke 1:52}

         ^{Why did God choose to have the message of the Savior’s birth come first to shepherds, of all people? Why not the mayor of Bethlehem, the town council, the village rabbi, a prominent businessman? Why shepherds, of all people?}

         ^{Was it because other people were too busy or preoccupied to listen? Can that happen to us too? Was it because the way God was doing things wasn’t the way they would have done them? Can that happen to us too? Or had others actually turned their backs and purposely ignored the gift God was giving? Can that happen to us too? Was the stable setting too humble for more “refined” folks to visit? Could we be guilty of that attitude too?}

         ^{Or did God choose to give the announcement of His Son’s birth first to the shepherds to let us know that everyone is welcome? The Candle of Joy or the Shepherds’ candle glows brightly enough to assure us that there’s none too poor, too lowly, too dirty, too humble, too despised to be excluded from God’s circles of light.}

         ^{But humble is the way to come.}

^{Your little ones, dear Lord, are we,}

^{And come your lowly bed to see;}

^{Enlighten ev’ry soul and mind,}

^{That we the way to you may find.}

         ^{Who’s the most humble person you know? Would that person agree with your opinion of them? As you move through this last Wednesday before the celebration of Jesus’s birth, I dare you to seek out the lowly, the marginalized, the rejected, the poor and dirty . . . and lift them up in a way that would make God pleased.}

         ^{And may you approach the Christ Child, our Savior Jesus, on bended knee!}



^{Wishing you the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Years!}

^{Pastor Dale}

Pastor Dale (PD) and Pamela his wife are honored to serve the Mt. Laurel Church of God. If this Mid-Week Encouragement has helped you, perhaps it may encourage someone else. Feel free to share this message with anyone you choose. And if you'd like to receive PD's Mid-Week Encouragement, just send an email to (kingdomguy@gmail.com) and I'll accommodate your request.