The story on angels and shepherds is seldom ever left out of any Christmas story telling. If I plan a trip and journey some distant away and take picture and place them on social media, a person can only knows about the trip through the pictures. Unless my vehicle is in the picture a person knows not how I arrived. or does one know not how far I journeyed to the destination or how long it took to get back. The story of the shepherds is much like looking at those vacation pictures of friends. One knows not the location of the picture unless a sign is showing the name of vacation spot. Well in the Christmas story we only have social media pictures of the event surrounded by both prophecy before, and during the event.

The appearance of only one angel with a bright light was enough to scare the shepherd and cause fear in the group. The Holy Ghost surrounded the shepherds in a great light, no doubt as the angel began to speak the voice began to a calm the shepherd so they did not jump and run or forsake their duties of tending to the sheep. Yet it was enough of an experience to shake the shepherds as the angel began to speak of who had finally born in the city of David who is Christ the Lord. The announcement of Christ(the Anointed in the original greek text) the Lord(someone to reverence, or in this case title of the Messiah defined in the original greek text). Then the Angel told the shepherds they would find the babe lying in a manger. Then the appearance of more angels with the first and they were :praising God and saying, Glory to God on highest and on earth peace, good will toward men". The evidence of God to announce his work to the world starts with the angels announcing the birth of a anointed baby. God ability to announce to individual to a group, to the world the coming of Christ return that will be seen by the world is made more plausible witht he story of the announcement to the shepherds. God spoke in a way the shepherds would of understood. They believed in angels. Angels are mention else where in scripture, some cases it is a reference to a minister and other cases a spiritual being with wings. In this story wing creatures came and told of the event to the shepherds. The prophetic announcement by God's messengers to a group of shepherds that would spread the news everywhere they went. No doubt they told the story everywhere they went to those in the open fields, travelers, traders, and other shepherds they would meet.

Let's back up to the place the shepherds said lets go see this thing that has come to pass. Meaning the child is born, meaning the child the angels proclaimed was born. There curiousity provoked to a point of leaving the fields in search of manger with a child that was the Messiah. For prophesy of Isaiah 60 had to take place. No doubt there were herdmen in Bethelehem because of the taxes, but this was not the ones in town but the ones in the field that came at the announcing of a baby by angel. They told Mary and Joseph about the angels coming declaring that the Messiah of Israel had been born. Mary would ponder these things to her heart, but the shepherds would go away and share the message of the Messiah. The snap shot view.

What we can learn from the story, God intention is to tell those that will repeat a story, to glorify him. To glorify the things He does and will do. Our job is to tell the wonderful story of Christ birth. To proclaim it over the hills and everywhere that Jesus Christ is born. This story been told yearly for centuries. We wait for the picture of Christ return to be taken. To see the glory of God coming in a cloud, bring His dear Son. It it takes faith to believe this prophecy of Christ return will come. People have been waiting a long time, yet Israel waited for a long time to for the coming Messiah when he finally came. Let us be busy as the shepherds were watching over their flock and not waiting in slothfulness for the return of Christ. Isaiah 60 tells that these shepherds are probably the sons of Kedar(the sons of Ishmael) and not Jewish shepherds. The presents of the Gentile nation coming in search of the Messiah.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sharing with the world about the coming of the Messiah. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: Isaiah 60:7 KJV All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.