Luke Chapter 2: Verses 17-20
After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened, and what the angel said about this child. All who heard the shepherd’s story were astonished. But Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.
The shepherds were just ordinary men, in fact quite low down in the social standing of the time, but after they met Jesus they told everyone all about it. Because they believed what the angel had told them, and acted on it, they were blessed to be the first to meet the Messiah.
That obedience impacted on others too. The people they spoke to were given the hope of God’s promise. And Mary, Jesus’ mother, thought often about what the shepherds had told her. That must have given her great comfort over many years. The shepherds were not learned men and they weren’t preachers either. They simply told their story. Any Christian who has met Jesus can share their story too. We might never know the difference that telling our story could make to someone’s life.
Dear Lord,
I realise that we should never underestimate the impact that telling our own story to others can make. Help me to overcome my reticence and tell of my own experience when the opportunity arises. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.