The Unexpected
Dr. Randy T. Johnson
“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’” Luke 2:15
Do you remember hearing or seeing something that was unexpected? It caught you off guard. You might have said, “I did not see that coming.” If you were texting, you might just reply SMH (Shaking My Head). There are a lot of those events in the Bible:
• An old man and lady start a nation (Abraham and Sarah)
• A prisoner to save a nation (Joseph)
• A woman to save a nation (Esther)
• A donkey and a large fish to get someone’s attention (Balaam, Jonah)
• A prostitute to overtake a city (Rahab)
• A kid to take down a giant (David)
• A boy and his lunch to feed thousands
• A murderer to lead people to the Lord (Moses, David, Paul)
• An uneducated fisherman to preach and start the church (Peter)
• A group of shepherds being the first visitors to see and worship baby Jesus
Please think about the last one. God chose a group of shepherds to be the first visitors to see and worship Jesus when He was born. In Luke 2:11, the angels say to the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” It appears that the shepherds are the first ones to hear that the Messiah has arrived. That is such an honor. It is not what one would expect.
The shepherds were not the esteemed group. However, that is who God chose to start getting the word out that the Savior had arrived. It is comforting to realize that God cares for everyone. In 1 Peter 5:7, we read, “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” This is a beautiful passage because it reminds us that Jesus cares for us and is willing to be there for us in our darkest hours.
God regularly uses the unexpected to do mighty and important things for Him. It is not about ability, but availability.
Dr. Randy T. Johnson
“When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.’” Luke 2:15
Do you remember hearing or seeing something that was unexpected? It caught you off guard. You might have said, “I did not see that coming.” If you were texting, you might just reply SMH (Shaking My Head). There are a lot of those events in the Bible:
• An old man and lady start a nation (Abraham and Sarah)
• A prisoner to save a nation (Joseph)
• A woman to save a nation (Esther)
• A donkey and a large fish to get someone’s attention (Balaam, Jonah)
• A prostitute to overtake a city (Rahab)
• A kid to take down a giant (David)
• A boy and his lunch to feed thousands
• A murderer to lead people to the Lord (Moses, David, Paul)
• An uneducated fisherman to preach and start the church (Peter)
• A group of shepherds being the first visitors to see and worship baby Jesus
Please think about the last one. God chose a group of shepherds to be the first visitors to see and worship Jesus when He was born. In Luke 2:11, the angels say to the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” It appears that the shepherds are the first ones to hear that the Messiah has arrived. That is such an honor. It is not what one would expect.
The shepherds were not the esteemed group. However, that is who God chose to start getting the word out that the Savior had arrived. It is comforting to realize that God cares for everyone. In 1 Peter 5:7, we read, “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” This is a beautiful passage because it reminds us that Jesus cares for us and is willing to be there for us in our darkest hours.
God regularly uses the unexpected to do mighty and important things for Him. It is not about ability, but availability.
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