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

It’s not often that we are told things by God as clearly as these shepherds were, but it is certainly a reason for joy when things are confirmed. It’s worth noting that, as dramatic as events had been, the shepherds indeed returned to their job of guarding the sheep. When what we were doing before an encounter with God was in violation of God’s laws, we are not to return to that. However, we do have to return to daily living in any case, and “glorifying and praising God” is an excellent way to live, regardless of our occupation! I’m sure these shepherds never forgot their experiences that night, and talked about them with anyone who would listen. I’m reminded of Paul’s dramatic encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, recorded in Acts 9, and how he recounted that experience in Acts 24 and again in Acts 26. You never forget a transforming experience with God! That is actually the most fundamental form of personal evangelism: sharing what God has done for you. It is good, and indeed important, to know the Scriptural foundation for your salvation, but nothing beats, “Once I was blind, but now I can see.” (John 9:25)

I have told many people of some of my own encounters with the Lord, and it renews my faith every time I do so. However, I’m not to limit my testimony to things that happened years ago. After all, I can say, “This morning the Lord told me…”! I do have to be careful about that, though, because people with no expectation of being spoken to by God see that as bragging, or as holier-than-thou. As a pastor, I want to encourage the believers both to expect encounters with God on a frequent, even daily basis, and to share those encounters with others. Most believers are slow in both those areas! For the past several years our “verse for the year” has been along those lines, and the one for the coming year is if anything even stronger. However, just stating truth seldom penetrates as it needs to, so I need God’s wisdom in working it into people’s hearts and lives, and not just memory. We have such low expectations of what God wants to do in and through us! I need to be fully open to Him myself, so that He may use me in opening the hearts and minds of the believers so that we may all be transformed into the fully functioning Body that He desires.

Father, thank You for what You are doing in this church. Thank You for what You did in the service last night. Attendance was much less than I had hoped, but You pointed out specific people who were here, and You spoke to them through me. Thank You. I pray that all of us in this church wouldn’t try to dictate to You what to do or how to do it, but rather would be fully open and responsive to what You want to do in and through us, so that Your purposes may be accomplished on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!