Worthy to Be Used

Luke 2:8-20

     Out in the field, a group of shepherds passed their day as every other day before. They had plans. They dreamed dreams of tomorrow, and they had a duty. Then the sky erupted in light. Everything ‘normal’ disappeared with the arrival of God’s messenger. I think there is something in all of us that can identify with the shepherds in that moment. We make plans. We go about our day-to-day lives and seldom expect God to interfere. Then He does.

     When the shepherds first saw the angel, they were terrified. They no doubt had heard of God sending Heavenly messengers, but I hesitate to believed they thought they would ever be the recipients of a visit. Leon L. Morris explained why they might not have felt worthy of hearing the announcement first. He wrote, “As a class, shepherds had a bad reputation…More regrettable was their habit of confusing ‘mine’ with ‘thine’ as they moved about the country. They were considered unreliable and were not allowed to give testimony in the law courts.” These were not upstanding citizens. They had a reputation of being ruffians and even bandits. Yet, these are the ones God chose to send as the welcoming committee to His newborn Son. These were the first preachers of the coming of the Messiah.

     God has a history of doing the unexpected with unlikely people. It is His way. That’s why we shouldn’t be surprised when God interrupts our ‘normal’ to make it extraordinary. In fact, we should be looking for it. No life that is dedicated to God will go unused. Just when we think we have God’s way figured out, He sends us down a new path. Are you up for it? I love that the shepherds didn’t hang around the herd discussing whether they were qualified to identify the baby the angels told them about. I love that they didn’t keep the information to themselves because they worried people wouldn’t believe them. They immediately got up and started searching for the promise fulfilled in a newborn. My prayer for all of us is that we have the courage to do the same. Let us not doubt what God says of us. If He opens a door, He will give us the strength, direction, and protection to follow through. Maybe some will say we aren’t qualified. Maybe others will scoff at the message God lays on our hearts. Then again, if I had to choose whether to impress man or God, I don’t think I would care very much what those scoffers thought. Be bold and courageous with your faith – not simply in the faith that God can do what He says, but also faith that you can do what God says you can do. Whether we are shepherds or kings, when God says “Go!”, let us never hesitate.

(Written by Keegan Harkins.)