GLORIOUS MESSAGE

Luke 2:9-12   "An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'" NIV   "And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." KJV   The announcement of the Saviour's birth by the Angel of the Lord was a most exquisite, majestic and glorious appearance. But it was presented to some lowly shepherds tending to their sheep on a hillside, on what seemed to be an ordinary night. Why would God choose to have this heavenly host appear to lowly shepherds? They were the ones who raised the sheep to have lambs that were taken to the city for sacrifice. Those lambs who were without blemish were wrapped in swaddling blankets and put into mangers or other small spaces to keep them from thrashing around and hurting themselves. It was a normal thing for shepherds to approach a manger and see a new born lamb there. The sign spoken by the Angel was that there would be no lamb lying in the manger, but instead, the baby, the perfect lamb without blemish, the One who had been promised to be the ultimate sacrifice for the whole world.   Heavenly Father, we can't imagine our reaction to the awesome appearance of myriads of angels and the angel that announced Christ's birth. You work in the most awesome ways, that we often don't understand. But Lord, You always bring about Your plan in the best ways and always for us to be reconciled to You. Help us to keep this close to our hearts and to live our lives reflecting Your love. In the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.         ©2012 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC drbobbijo@yahoo.com http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/ No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only