A very excited bunch of shepherds had just witnessed the most amazing show of their life, an angel host who sang God’s glory. They leave though, they go back to heaven. I can imagine the excitement, the stillness after that exhilaration. With that, the shepherds decided to leave and head to Bethlehem and see what had happened, to see what “the Lord has told us about,” (Luke 2:15).
I love a thick blanket of snow at night, on still nights with lots of moonlight. It is so quiet, seeming that not only the moon reflects brightly off the snow, but sounds carry over the land and not become trapped in blades of grass. Sounds carry over each current of snow that lays on the ground. It is in that silence that you can hear a whisper as if it were a quiet voice, a quiet voice as if it were spoken words, spoken words and peals of laughter like shouts of delight. God likes to speak to us in the quiet as well. It is when we allow our minds and heart to grow quiet that it is easier to hear Him.
The lives of these shepherds were never the same. They saw angels, they saw the glory of God, they have now witnessed the silence and stillness as the heavens were quieted and angels returned to heaven. Then, they hurry to Bethlehem – hurry with great excitement; with anticipation and curiosity perhaps? We don’t know what happened to these men, what they went on to do, how their stories were passed down amongst the people. We do know that they witnessed the glory of God. They viewed God’s glory and witnessed His great love.
In the midst of these days before Christmas, when the food, wrapping, shopping, programs, carols, and parties becomes too much – stop and take a quiet moment. Look up at the sky and imagine what it looked like, this same sky that held a host of angels. Allow your heart to grow quiet and listen. Do you hear what the shepherds heard?
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