“But the angel of the LORD appeared to
them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were terrified. Buy the angel said to
them,
“Do not be afraid, I bring you good news
of great joy that will be for all people.
Today in the town of David a Savior has
been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:9-11 (NIV)
The shepherds were afraid. They had not seen anything like
the light that appeared in the night sky. It even enveloped them. They saw an
angel; they didn’t know what to think. Their hearts raced, the color went out
of their faces. They couldn’t move. All they could do was listen.
The Angel spoke words of comfort; then shared the joyous
news with them. It had been 400 years
since God sent a prophet to them. No one came to tell them of God or to help
them find a way to Him.
The angel called this news a message of a joyous nature. It
was for all people- those living in
palaces as well as those living off the land.
In our 21st Century world, we see people who need the Lord.
People living in our neighborhoods and those we pass as we travel in our towns,
as we go about our daily errands. Those who hold cardboard signs as they stand
alongside of the roads we travel elicit conflicting emotions in my heart. As I
initially write this, I remember seeing two men, less than a city block
apart-one man had a woman and a baby sitting in the shade of a nearby business
sign. I felt torn as I surveyed the scene. We have food pantries and agencies
whose ministry is to help those in need. I remember the stories of people being
taken in by those who do this and have been caught in their misrepresentation.
And yet, if they are truly without the basics, I am caught by the fact that God
loves them and Jesus died for them, just like He died for me.
Graphic:www.goodsalt.com
Hi Cecelia! I know what you mean about the homeless. I was just talking to my daughter about this. When they were kids, there was always a man with a sign just off the expressway. We would make lunches for him. Or give money if I forgot the lunch.
ReplyDeleteA wise person told me once, it's not my job to judge how they use the gift. Just give it. That's your brother or sister. Very good advice.
Yes, God came and died for all...everyone. And we are all one in him!
Blessings,
Ceil
Ceil: Thank you for the kind thoughts. We have a small food pantry at our church. It gets lots of use. Every so often, it is almost bare. Recently, the lady who acts as the head of it shared what it took money-wise to almost fill it. I walked into church one night and saw a large overflowing trash container filled with empty boxes, The trash receptical was not big enough for the boxes.
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