15But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;16having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.
God has written a story in our lives and is continuing to produce in us fruit to His glory, as we remain connected to Christ. He has brought us into salvation through Christ, and even the way that He drew us into that relationship can be part of our overall story, or testimony. We can testify to how we have seen Him work in our lives, we can tell of His faithfulness, how we have experienced His love, and call attention to His blessings. As we reflect on our personal story, willing to share it with others, we grow in our walk and perhaps can lead others into an encounter with this powerful Lord!
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On this 17th day of 25: A Spiritual Adventure, we continue to share the shepherds' experience. They have been greeted by a throng of angels, who announced the birth of this special Child in Bethlehem. Yesterday, we saw how they hurried to the manger, and today we see what happened next...
Luke 2, verses 17 and 18 read:
17Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.18And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
You might say that the shepherds, in a sense, were the forerunners to first evangelists - they certainly were excited about the good news they had received and did not keep it to themselves. And, they provide a strong example for us - we are entrusted with a wonderful message that can challenge us: if we have come to know Christ and are walking consistently with Him, then we can share what He has done for us in bringing salvation to us. Perhaps God will use our communication to lead others to a saving knowledge of Christ as you are faithful to share your story.
Stories are compelling, aren't they? Jesus was a master at using stories. Carolyn Arends on the program Monday talked about the power of stories, especially what she refers to as the "Story of Stories." On today's program, you'll hear from some storytellers: C.S. Fritz, who is a pastor who writes children's books that are laced with Biblical truth. There's also someone who has gained quite a reputation as a musical storyteller, Mark Schultz. And, author Josh Kelley is currently travelling the country with his family - that can certainly be a source for stories through this unique event.
Some stories can be short, others long, some are prose, others are poetry. One of our listeners, who is an author and blogger and who was a guest on The Meeting House a few months ago in connection with the Heart for Homeschooling conference in Montgomery, submitted a poem to me. From her blog, A Good Tired, Lauren Souers writes:
“Twas The Night Before [The First] Christmas”
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the camp
not a creature was stirring, not even a lamb.
The Scriptures were read and explained with great care,
in hopes that Messiah soon would be there.
The shepherds were waiting, their eyes to the sky,
while the promise of His coming delighted their mind.
And they all with their goats, and I with my sheep,
had just settled down for a winter night’s sleep.
When out in the darkness there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my blankets to see what was the matter.
Away to the meadow I ran with my staff,
For fear that a wolf was attacking a calf.
The moon in full circle gave light to my haste,
And it seemed the darkness had been fully erased.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a host of bright beings engulfing the sphere.
With the glory of Heav’n surrounding that squad,
I knew right away they were angels of God.
More splendid than lilies, their garbs they adorned,
And they sang with clear voices and blew with loud horns.
“Messiah! Good Shepherd!
Alpha and Omega!
Deliverer! Redeemer!
Emmanuel! Jehovah!
To earth He has stooped,
He made Himself small.
But that small, helpless babe
Will be Lord of All!”
As the wind that precedes a great tempest does blow,
And the roar is acknowledged by the mighty and low,
So up to the heavens the messengers flew,
leaving us with the tidings of a King to pursue.
And then, in the sky, I heeded our guide,
We followed her light and away we did ride.
As I drew close I scarce believed what I saw,
For I discovered my Lord, reclining in straw.
He was wrapped in soft rags from His feet to His chin,
And He lay among cattle, for there was no room at the inn.
The Lamb dwelled with lambs; He slept in their fodder,
And He looked like a baby who never would matter.
His eyes – how they held me! Full deity within!
And His hands seemed prepared for His work to begin.
His body, now whole, would one day be broken;
For His wounds and His shame had all been forespoken.
His frame, now so small, would shoulder a burden
In order that man may take hold of His pardon.
But this night His great submission would be
That the Almighty God would be rocked to sleep.
He was God become man, the manifestation of Himself.
And I knelt when I saw Him, because of myself.
For in the presence of that Babe all my sin was displayed,
But that Babe was my Savior, so I wasn’t afraid.
He spoke not a word, but His manner told all.
He loved His creation! He would undo our fall!
I watched as the King reclined on His mother,
And knew that His dreams were up with the Father.
I sprang from my knees, to my friends gave a whistle,
Made one final tribute ‘ere taking dismissal.
I ran to the city, proclaimed loud and clear,
“Salvation to all! Your Messiah is here!”
This poem is, of course, a retelling of the poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," which was said to be written by a seminary professor and scholarly author named Clement Clarke Moore. According to the Poetry Encyclopedia, Moore is said to have recited the poem to his children in 1822. It was published in a book of poems in 1844, although it had been printed anonymously in a Troy, NY newspaper in 1823, according to MentalFloss.com, which has published some insight into the poem's history - and who may have actually written it.
You see, Moore took credit for the poem 13 years after its publication. However, the family of Henry Livingston, Jr., claimed their father had been reciting "A Visit From St. Nicholas" to them for 15 years before it was published. The articles says, "They even said they had evidence - a dated, handwritten copy of the original poem with revisions and scratch marks all throughout. Unfortunately, the house containing this gem burned down, taking the Livingston family's proof with it."
So, for us, as believers, when we reflect on the telling of the story by the shepherds, we can be certain that we know who the author actually is. The eyewitnesses, the shepherds, began to share the news, and we're told that people were in awe at what they shared. For us, the story of the birth of Christ, as told by Luke, and then the incredible stories of what we read in the gospels about what Jesus did on earth, as well as the significance of His death and resurrection, can bring us to a deeper knowledge of our Savior.
We also can be challenged to share what God has done for us personally. Our stories of the work of God in our lives can produce God's intended results. He is writing an incredible story of love, of grace, of truth, in us, and He desires for us to reflect that in our interactions. As we testify to His greatness, we can trust that people will be drawn to the presence of God within us. Tell your story - and see God use that story that He has brought about in your life to radiate the good news of the gospel.
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