Unexpectedly

“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior – yes, the Messiah, the Lord – has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others – the armies of heaven – praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” – Luke 2:8-14

How fast things can change, eh?!

The unexpected moments that spring up in our lives, often come with the potential to change the trajectory of our lives. Can you relate to a moment where all of a sudden, life took a turn, and suddenly looked vastly different? Where you were faced with dealing with something you hadn’t ‘signed up for’, or where you had to make a major decision out of the unexpected circumstance that you found yourself in.

Change can often bring with it fear – more so when it’s dropped on us suddenly. If we succumb to believing the fear, it can cripple us from moving on – and stopping us from seeing any good that could possibly come out of our situation. Maybe this is why so many times throughout Scripture we read that God’s message comes with a prefix of “Do not be afraid.”

Can you imagine the shock of the shepherds with the appearing of an angel sent from God? Not to mention a message that would change not just their lives, but ALL peoples.

I love that the proclamation of the baby King’s birth announcement spurred-on such joy, that the angels just couldn’t refrain from worship. All of the sudden, the shepherds were surrounded with a host of Heaven’s angels…. Wouldn’t you love to know how the shepherds took that all in, in that moment? Were they jaw-dropped and bug-eyed, unable to speak? Had they ever heard anything so beautiful than a host of angels singing?

“When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” – Luke 2:15

Even though their night didn’t go as planned, this divine interruption gave them an invitation to take action. They didn’t succumb to fear – they went immediately to see the newborn King. And after seeing Him, they went back to what they were entrusted to do…but completely changed.

“The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.” – Luke 2: 20)

When God allows interruptions in our lives, we have the open invitation to draw near to Him. To take action and go to Him and not allow ourselves to be crippled by fear. And until the time comes for Him to change what we’ve been entrusted to do; we have the opportunity to praise Him for the Good News that He brought to us. He is worthy of all praise!

“Glory to God in the highest Heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Amen? Amen!