Obedient Shepherds

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.” (Luke 2:8 NIV)

Christmas is coming and I’m still stuck on obedience. Today I saw it reinforced again in the shepherds’ encounter with the newborn Christ.

The Bethlehem shepherds had begun their evening quite ordinarily. They were tending to their sheep in their usual way. I think of these men keeping watch in dark pastures and I’m reminded that everyday obedience is expected before we are entrusted with the opportunity for extraordinary obedience.

So often, people ask me about God’s will. They want a special task or platform or placement. Yet almost as often, these are folks who are uncommitted to God’s written word. Scripture makes the expectation of ordinary obedience quite clear. If we are unfaithful to the basics, why would He reward us with extra? I liken it to assignments at school: extra credit is given in addition to the original homework or test, not lieu of.

The shepherds were doing ordinary work when they were interrupted and additionally instructed by God. Their every day labor involved raising sheep for the Temple sacrificial system. The lambs they tended to were a crucial component of worship for many of God’s people. Ordinary labor but not inconsequential labor.

The enemy loves to lie to us about the significance of our ordinary labor. Remember, he is a deceiver. Work is actually a means to support our ministry. What’s more, godly men and women work as unto the Lord; whether they are tending sheep, mowing lawns, teaching students, building computer networks, seeing patients or stocking shelves. Believers view their daily labor as opportunity to glorify Christ in their community and craftsmanship.

So the shepherds are amidst their ordinary obedience when the sky splits open and an angel made an incredible announcement, followed by instruction. “You will find…” (v. 12) The whole divine encounter climaxed with a great company of angels giving God praise and then the sky goes dark, leaving the men in the field to wonder what they’d just witnessed. I so appreciate their response:

“When the angels had left them and gone into heave, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” (Luke 2:15 NIV)

The shepherds encouraged each other toward obedience, do you see it? They rallied one another toward God and His instruction. I wonder, who encourages you to follow God closely? Likewise, who do you encourage? The shepherds heard from God and then they got up and go going.

“They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.” (Luke 2:16 NIV)

There was an immediacy in the shepherd’s response. No delay even though they went out of their way. Did they bring along their flocks or leave them in someone else’s care? The answer doesn’t matter: they did whatever they needed to do to obey the edict of heaven.

Let me hone in on that word edict for a moment. Last week I was in a meeting with several leaders. We spent the first several hours of our time together in prayer, asking God for a plan to address an issue we are facing in our fellowship. It was amidst that prayer that I strongly felt a response: we didn’t need a plan, we needed an edict from heaven. And edict is an official order or proclamation issued by a person in authority.

See, God rules over a Kingdom, not a democracy. This is tough for us as Americans, we are used to having a vote or a voice. But this is a theocracy. We need to hear from God and when we do, we need to respond rightly: with obedience.

That night, the shepherds got it. They were busy about ordinary obedience until heaven broke through, gave them an extraordinary edict and then they set about to obey. Ultimately, they were blessed by their compliance, even though it was inconvenient.

Lord, help us today to recognize our ordinary labor as obedience and tend to it faithfully. May You find us fulfilling instruction and because of our track record, entrust to us new opportunities to obey in even bigger ways. May we also encourage those around us in moving towards You. Amen.