Hello there,
Please read this wonderful write up from Sharie King that reminds you that you are not alone.You have a great history and a bright Future(Jeremiah 29:11).
Have you ever longed to be a part of the inner circle? It’s easy to wonder if the people around you know you exist. Possibly they know your name, but do they know the real you?
Have you ever longed to be a part of the inner circle? It’s easy to wonder if the people around you know you exist. Possibly they know your name, but do they know the real you?
Well, I want to share a secret with you. I have NEVER met someone who hasn’t asked these questions! You are not alone!
The
shepherds who worshiped Jesus the night he was born were probably some
of the most undervalued and overlooked men in their town. Imagine with
me what it was like to be one of them:
You’ve
been in the sun all day, trying to keep your sheep alive by herding
them to your secret food and water sources. Maybe they’ve been
cooperative, but probably a few had to be chased down and herded back to
the flock. Today is just one more day you’ve spent isolated from
society, working a job that prevents you from obeying Jewish laws. You
break all the laws of the Sabbath, and you know you will never get to
pray or praise God in the temple.
The
closest you will come to worship is keeping these sheep in ideal
conditions so they can be sacrificed to pay for the sins of your friends
and family. You wish your love for the sheep could earn you a bit of
righteousness, but the scornful look of the Pharisee tells you
otherwise. Maybe you wanted to be a part of God’s Kingdom, but you gave
up feeling like you had a place in that world long ago.
Then, one night while resting under the stars, angels from heaven appear to you saying, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” You think, “To me? Why would the Savior be born to me?” But there’s no time to think now because they are speaking. “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12 NIV)
You
have so many questions, but they all disappear behind a sky filled with
angels singing. Could it be? Has God finally honored your service, the
longing in your heart to be a part of His Kingdom?
Your
unlikely group races to Bethlehem and finds the baby. You grin when you
see him for the first time because you see the clue the angel
mentioned, "You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” (Luke
2:12 NKJV). “Swaddling cloths” may have not meant anything to the
everyday person, but since you’re a shepherd, you know that only the
spotless lambs used in the temple have the honor of being wrapped in
“swaddling cloths” as they come out of the womb.
You
whisper to Mary your secret, “I know he is the Spotless Lamb of God".
She grins, comforted by your testimony. You have not only become part of
God’s special story, but your presence has given the mother of your
Savior courage to live out her calling.
If
you’ve been feeling ostracized or unnoticed, I hope you find comfort in
the fact that God went out of his way to include a "few outcasts” in
the most significant event in history! I have a feeling He's reaching
out to you also, but when we’re hurting it’s hard to see His work in our
lives. If this is you, will you let me pray for you?
“Jesus,
I pray for my friend who feels like you have abandoned him or her. I
pray in your name that they would feel your presence beside them right
now, in this moment. And I pray that in the next few days their eyes
would be opened in a miraculous way to how much you love them now, in
the past and every day they have coming. Let it be!"
Thanks for your time.God Bless Everyone.Compliments of the Season!
Originally Posted By Sharie King
Originally Posted By Sharie King
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