The Shepherds Returned

“The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:20 NIV

As is customary for this time of year I will reread the story of the birth of our Lord Jesus. After all, He is the Reason for the season. Countless times I will read a passage of scripture and something new will pop out from something old. This year, it was the ending to this prelude to the Lord’s birth that stood out to me - the shepherds (Luke 2:8-20). I can just imagine the scene. A hillside full of sheep in the middle of a clear, cool night. Stars abound. Some shepherds spread out on blankets. And then POW! An angel of the LORD appears before them. The King James version says these poor guys were “sore afraid.” megas phobeo in the Greek. “…of natural events powerfully affecting the senses and emotions of the mind. To put to flight by terrifying.” These guys were about to turn tail and run. And then, as is customary with the LORD and His angels - “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid…” And then, before these guys knew what had hit them, the final course, “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, good will toward men.””

Now these trembling shepherds were staring into a sky lit up with a vast host of heaven’s angels. And they’re all praising God in unison. “Glory to God in the highest!” I suspect the sheep were so afraid they sheared themselves that night. What an amazing symphonic chorus that must have been that night. Knowing the relationship that the psalmist David had with the LORD, these angels must have been singing and not speaking. We know the whole story. They made their way to the stable and saw baby Jesus. This celestial exordium comes to an end with the above in verse 20. “The shepherds returned...”

I have been privy to many fascinating and exciting moments in my life. Many of these precious times were spiritual in nature. Some were in churches, some in foreign countries, some amongst other people and some just me and nature. Some were punctuated with pomp and some were quietly spoken through the song of a mourning dove. In any event, they were times where I knew God was trying to say something to me. Usually, He was reminding me that He loved me no matter what. That He made me. That He longed to hear from me. That He wanted to be shared with others BY me. I can recall none of these moments being a megas phobeo but they all ended with a holy call to “return,”  to praise God and to share what I had seen or heard in my heart.

Christmas wrapped up yesterday as a holiday. But the Savior Who was born to us and became our Redeemer walks among us this very day. He sits with us at our desks. He rides with us in our cars. He sighs when we sin and He smiles when we do good. He orchestrates situations in our lives where, if we look closely and if we listen attentively, we will see Him and can know Him. Through our experiences in this life we can relate to others. We can possibly help others walk this burdensome path; a path that we know all ends at the grave. But assuredly as the end will come, the beginning to forever is right beyond that door. The glory of the heavens awaits those who call Emanuel their LORD and their Savior. Until then, we do well considering the journey and our experience and “return” to those around us and share, in love, the joy of knowing God in Christ Jesus.  

Sights and Sounds of Spring

“…anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”    2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

 

I have noticed a few things in my yard this past week. They are the telling signs of change. I am usually always the first person in my home to wake up in the mornings. I typically start my day in the darkness when I can sit on the couch, sip my one cup of coffee and read/pray/meditate my day forward. In most cases, it is quiet until I get up and start preparing breakfast for my kids and hot tea for my wife. But something changed in the last week. For as long as I can recall, the first change each year is the burst of call from a mockingbird at five o’clock in the morning. What bird in his right mind starts singing at 5AM while it is still pitch black outside? Perhaps an eager bird who has a sense that spring is about to break forth?

The second thing that I noticed is my Live Oak tree in the back yard. In about a week’s time its leaves will begin to turn yellow, then brown and then begin to fall. These leaves have spent the last year performing a very important task. They have small (really small) openings in the leaves called stomata. The word stoma in the Greek tongue means “mouth.” These super-tiny mouths are what the tree breathes life through. They take in carbon dioxide (CO2) through these stomata and “breathe out” oxygen. And it is a very good thing they do because it makes it easier for us humans to breathe when they release this oxygen into the air!

We in the US have come through one of the coldest winters on record. I think that winter is headed back down to Antarctica where the average temperature will be about 76 degrees below zero. In the meantime, we should be warm in the US and frying in the south. But for now, we have the signs from Mother Nature that winter is out and spring is on her way in. That change as we know is very important each year. My tree knows that it is time to be off with the old and bring in the new. Rough winds, damaging rays of the sun, disease and insect damage have all taken their toll on these leaves and on the vital stomata that take in life for the tree breathe out life for us humans.

Our souls are the branches of our lives that grow stomata laden leaves for absorbing and releasing spiritual life. All year long we encounter situations and trials that take their toll on our lives. The birth of a beautiful, healthy child or the start of a new friendship can bring in life to our souls. The strong winds of adversity and poor health, the insect bites of harsh words from a family member or boss, the scorching heat of a dead-end job or a difficult financial situation can all wither our souls and discourage our spiritual growth. As our souls become stagnant it becomes difficult for us to exhale spiritual life for those around us – those who depend on us and need us each day.

Are you going into your next spring of life carrying the dead leaves of past winters? It is time to start dropping those leaves so you can grow fresh stomata. God is waiting for you to make that decision. When you step forth in action with the right attitude He will be there to assist you in the growth and in the attitude development process. He makes things new. He forgives our past. He is excited about our future. He is ready to refresh the soul and kick off spring. There is a psychological advantage to “cleaning house.” Try going through your own tangible things over the next few weeks. Pick out some things that have no real value and may have been dead leaves lying around for years. Start a plan of tossing out the leaves. Throw something away every week for the next few months. You might be surprised at how good it makes you feel!

And the One sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true…” I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life.” Revelation 21:5-6 NLT

 

RE: http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/156262/