Glory in the Highest

Luke 2:8-20

Today just enjoy this beautiful portion of scripture, with family and friends, even though we read them previously. A section of today's reading was even recited on "A Charlie Brown Christmas". Charlie was feeling down because everything about Christmas seemed empty and commercial. He was looking for the real meaning of Christmas. Perhaps after weeks of shopping, eating and parties you feel the same way and will rejoice in the simple meaning of the profound gift we received from God, our Savior Jesus Christ.

"Now there were shepherds living out in the fields,keeping watch over their flock by night.And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.

The the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'

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 ,goodwill toward men!' So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another,

'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger..."

Luke 2:8-16 NKJ

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Tomorrow we will see God's Great Love for Us.

Glory in the Highest

Today's Reading: Luke 2:8-20

"Glory to God in the Highest,

and on earth peace, goodwill toward men."

It began as another ordinary night for the shepherds, bedding down for the night in the fields with their sheep.

"... behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them... 

the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid." vs 9

No wonder they were afraid, imagine the ordinary night transforming to the brilliance from the realm of glory as an angel appeared right there before them. The angel said:

" 'Do not be afraid, for behold,

I bring you good tidings 
of great joy

which will be to all people.

For there is born to YOU this day 

in the city of David

a Savior. who is Christ the Lord...'

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 goodwill toward men!' " 
vs. 10, 11 &14

 Imagine the spectacle of glorious light, majestic splendor and radiant hope for all people.

I wonder if David the Shepherd King was seeing from heaven at that moment the glory of the birth of his promised son. The birth of our Savior is the answer to David's question to God,

"What are people that you should think about them, 

mere mortals that you should care for them?".

We ARE in God's thoughts and He does care enough to send His Son to be born from a human in a stable with animals in it. (Very messy place to be born.)

When the angels departed the shepherds left and found Mary, Joseph and the baby lying in a manger. After seeing them they  

"returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen... " 

"Mary kept all these things 

and pondered them in her heart."

Let us ponder in our hearts God's mercy for sending His Son 

and glorify Him for all that He has done for all of us His people.