Page 16 - 2018 AdventDevo-Flip book

Saturday, December 8
Glory!
“I am the Good Shepherd”

Scripture: Luke 2:8-15, John 10: 14-16
Have you ever been in a Christmas program and dressed as one of the
characters? Which character would you pick to be? At Liberty Presbyter-
ian, we have the opportunity each year to see the children portray the
Christmas story through song and live characters to help us witness the
birth of Jesus.

Well, I grew up as my Mommy’s girl, and yes, I was usually an Angel
part! The shepherd was not my choice because my uncles are real life
farmers and to me, they seemed like the shepherds and it was clearly a
tough job. So, that would not have been my choice of characters to play!
This past June, my sweet mother went to meet her Maker in heaven. In
her home, I stumbled across a devotional she wrote for her church a
couple of years ago. Her choice was to write about the shepherds:

“It is so significant that God planned the reception of Jesus, His Son, by
angels announcing His birth to shepherds. Oh, how exciting to imagine
the Shekinah glory, surprise, awe, and yes, fear the shepherds must have
felt when the angels brought the joyful message of the long-awaited birth
of the Christ Child! God must have a special place in his heart for shep-
herds. Remember some: Abel, Moses, Jacob, David, and most im-
portantly, Jesus, who called himself the good shepherd, and said, ‘A good
shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.’ As we remember the shep-
herds’ response, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing
that has happened which the Lord has made known to us,’ let us be re-
minded not just of belief in and worship of our Lord, but also of the eve-
ry day caring, protection and servant attitude which a shepherd displays.”

Mary Lynne Johnson Loftus and the late Sherry Johnson

Prayer: Lord, our Shepherd and Savior, we confess our weakness and
ask for Your guidance and strengthening as we struggle to live as Your
servants. Help us to serve others in need. In Jesus’ precious name.