Emmanuel: A 4-Day Devotional With Chris TomlinSampel

Gloria

“But the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior — yes, the Messiah, the Lord — has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’ Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others — the armies of heaven — praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.’” Luke 2:10-14 (NLT)

I’ve gotten to be a part of some songs that have traveled all around the world, but there’s one song I’ll never be able to write. In my opinion, it’s the gold standard of all worship songs. It’s found in Luke 2.

Let me set the scene for you. A bunch of lowly shepherds were out in the fields, doing what they did every single day — tending sheep. I would imagine the night the angels appeared, the shepherds were exhausted after a hard day’s work. Yet, the glory they beheld with their own eyes was unlike anything they had ever experienced.

Angels filled the sky, singing, “Glory to God in the highest.” That must have been the sweetest refrain ever repeated. Still, the shepherds’ first response was that of fear. That’s a truly human reaction, isn’t it? We get scared when something feels new, uncomfortable, or flat-out unbelievable.

The shepherds could have easily missed the moment. Even as the angel reassured them, they could have chosen not to believe him and fled in fear; or they could have told him they were simply too tired for a midnight worship set and headed home.

Somehow, I think God knew they would stay. See, to be a shepherd, you had to have patience. You had to be devoted to your sheep. God knew the shepherds were the perfect audience for the song to beat all songs.

I think when the shepherds heard the first note of that melody, even if they had wanted to, they couldn’t have willed their feet to move. They were transfixed by the heavenly song and the unbelievable message the angels came to proclaim — good news and great joy for all people, especially poor, tired, dirty shepherds.