Do you have time to hear him?

In my last post we talked about the people of Bethlehem who missed the birth of our Savior.  He came and left with his family without them even knowing what happened.  I talked about how many times we miss what the Lord might have to teach or show us because we are not looking for it.  Today I want to talk about a small group of shepherds.  As I have continued my journey through Advent with Max Lucado in God Came Near I am most affected by what he has said about the shepherds.

"The stable stinks like all stables do.  The stench of urine, dung, and sheep reeks pungently in the air.  The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling and a mouse scurries across the dirt floor.

A more lowly place of birth could not exist.

Off to one side sit a group of shepherds. They sit silently on the floor, perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, no doubt in amazement. Thier night watch had been interrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels.  God goes to those who have time to hear him - so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds."

Did you catch it?  "God goes to those who have time to hear him..." I don't know about you but this phrase almost knocked me on my butt.  Wow, how many times do I live my life like the people of Bethlehem so caught up in the busyness of life around me that I don't take or have time for God, not really.  In my last post I talked about how many times we rank time with God as something to be crossed off the list and when we do then our hearts and minds are not ready or willing to really hear what God has for us.  No wonder our devotion time is so empty and routine.  Yet in this story the group willing to listen, wanting to hear was a group of shepherds.  In reality we are talking young men.  For example, remember King David was a shepherd for his family when he was anointed king by Samuel.

"And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.”  Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” 

And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.”  

1 Samuel 16:10-11

Again we see here in a moment where God was about to do something amazing he chose the most unlikely.  I keep trying to truly imagine what those young shepherds had to of been thinking not only when the Angel appeared to announce the birth of Christ but then God followed it up with a giant choir of Angels singing.  I wonder if I would have just fallen prostrate on the ground knowing that what was before me was so undeserved.  My favorite part is that these young shepherds did not question the Angel.

 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”[c]

 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.  And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.  And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

Luke 2:8-18

In this passage I see several things that stand out to me about the shepherds.  First I see that the Lord was pleased with them.  There was something in the heart of these men that caused the Lord to choose them to be one of the announcers of his son's birth.  Shepherds...God chose lowly shepherds to announce his son's birth to the town!  Then it is amazing at how inspirational their story was because Luke talks about how the people who heard the story wondered  at what the shepherds told them.  Here we have a small group of men/boys who have willing hearts, who have pleased the Lord and they realize that God has told them something special.  So they leave their flocks, which is unheard of and go to find this child in a stinky, dirty stable.  

What I love about God the more I study and learn is that he loves using the most unlikely people in the most unlikely ways.  That means each time I think that I am just a Mom, who is just a woman, who has no training or special gifting can be used in a very unlikely way by God...if I have time to hear Him.  Did you catch that, if I have time to hear God.

You see the unlikely men who were chosen to visit a baby the night he was born made a real impression on his mother.  In verse 19 Luke talks about how Mary pondered their visit in her heart.  She not only has given birth to God's son but was visited by shepherds who apparently impacted her enough to truly make a life impression.  How cool is that!  God used these shepherds to encourage Mary, to celebrate with her and her new little family.  All because they were willing to listen.

What has God been wanting to tell you but you have been so caught up in the chaos of Christmas that you missed it?  What might God have for you if you will just take the time to really look into his Word to see what he has to show you that you have never seen before?  Our life and time on this earth is what we make it.  We can walk through this life trying to keep up with the speed of chaos or we can remember that we live in a broken world that desperately needs a Savior, and in all the chaos they are missing it!  Could you be on of the messengers?  Do you realize God could have a task just for you, if you will take the time to listen.  I am really working hard to slow the life of myself and my family down because I want us to make sure we are not just growing in Christ but looking for opportunities to bring his love to this broken world.  I want to be one of those people that God is pleased with...don't you?  Don't be like the people of Bethlehem but instead strive to be like the shepherds seeking and willing to listen when God is ready to speak.