I love when God transforms my ordinary into moments of glory! When I say ordinary, I speak of routine evenings after long hours of labor. I know my day is coming to a close when I mix the dry with the wet food and head to the barn to feed my creatures. And I always scan the stars.
But on a recent night, I caught sight of something spectacular in the night sky. The moon encircled by a hazy rainbow rendered me awe-struck.
Energy sparked in my spirit! The kind of energy that chases the weary away. The kind of wow that always creates and irresistible urge to do two things – bask in the wonder and share my experience.
I called to my husband, “Come see this!”
You know what he did? He wondered at it, too. We shared the experience together.
I couldn’t resist texting my daughter-in-love, “Can you see the moon?”
She replied, “Yes.”
“Does it still have the rainbow around it?”
She captured a picture and sent it my way. In a matter of moments – and with the aid of modern ways to communicate – my family created a shared experience of God’s glorious creation.
After a little research, I discovered that what we saw was a Lunar Corona. And when I read Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:1-20) the next day, my moment of awe came to mind.
There is so much action in this part of the story of our Savior’s birth:
- The sudden appearance of “an angel of the Lord” who stood ahead of them. (Luke 2: 9)
- The mind-blowing message delivered by the angel. (Luke 2:10-13)
- The unexpected appearance of “the multitude of the heavenly host”. (Luke 2:13)
- The chorus of glory and peace sung by the hosts of heaven. (Luke 2:14)
- The shepherds’ witness of the angels’ return to heaven. (Luke 2:15)
That Lunar Corona helped me relate (in a minute but fantastic way) to the shepherds experience that night. Luke 2:15-18 drew my focus:
“15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. 17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.” (Luke 2:15-18, NASB95)
Take time to consider the next moment in the shepherd’s experience that night.
There they were with all normality restored. The sky returned to its usual nightscape. The fields returned to their cloak of darkness. The shepherds were still shepherds, with one notable exception. What they did next tells me they were changed by their encounter with God’s messengers.
They were compelled tell one another that they would go and see the Savior (Luke 2:15), and just one verse later we read that they did. (Luke 2:16)
Note what the shepherds did next:
- “When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.” (Luke 2:17)
Consider the effect of the shepherds’ sharing their story:
- “And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.” (Luke 2:18)
Read how the shepherds returned to “life” as they knew it (or did they?):
- “The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.” (Luke 2:20)
I noticed one thing the angel didn’t tell the shepherds. Nowhere do we read that the angel told them what to do. I love this!
The shepherds didn’t go to Bethlehem to see the Savior because the angel told them to.
They didn’t tell their story because they felt obligated by a command.
Their story of God’s glory is what compelled them to tell.
Can you relate to the urge to share your experiences with others – in particular, your joyous God-moments?
Wrapped in this true and profound story of glory are rings of the ripple effect of sharing. The shepherds went to see the Savior. And finding Him to be just as the “angel of the Lord” decreed inspired them.
Can’t you just see them bursting to tell their story – their unbelievable story of how they found the Savior?! Do you think anyone anywhere could have talked them into doubting what they knew to be true? Can you see the ripples that began because they chose to share?
Isn’t that what God asks of us? That we simply share the extraordinary things He has done in each life?
Seeing that rainbow around the moon was an exquisite moment of beauty. But knowing the One who created the moon as my Father? He’s the source of my awe.
Whether it’s on December 25th, or not, my prayer for you is to experience the awe of God with you in such a way that you are compelled to tell of His provision of our Savior and the glories of His love.
Have you ever experienced God in a way that compelled you to tell others?
Let us know with a comment below.
If you are a friend who is yet to allow Christ to answer your cry, I invite you to contact me or click here to read more.
Many years ago God spoke to my heart that He would do something very significant on May 12 to bring us our long-awaited baby after years of infertility. May 12 for years was a very special day, where I would search the sky for signs. Rainbows were particularly special, and many times I saw them, then heard the Lord’s whisper in my heart, “Don’t give up. Remember My promise.”
One year, 1996, I was having my quiet time, and the Lord lead me to the passage from Gen. 18 where He tells Abraham, “By this time next year…”
I thought He was telling me that by May 12 of the following year I would “give” my husband a son.
May 12, 1997 came and went with no baby, and I wasn’t pregnant. At the beginning of the next year (1998), my husband and I decided to pursue adoption. A couple weeks after beginning the process we received word that there was a baby due in early February. All the papers were signed, and our Dorian Samuel entered the world on February 3. His birth mother, Cindy, shared with us that his conception date was May 12, 1997, just as God had said. Because all life is precious to Him, even at conception, our son’s life began right when God had promised. Interestingly enough, Cindy‘s last name is Abrams. God reminded me that, though I had thought He was speaking from Genesis 16 about me giving my husband a son, I was Abraham in that scenario and He was actually saying that someone else would give us a son. This has been a story told hundreds and hundreds of times to so many people. All for God’s glory!
Maureen, God is certainly glorified in your testimony of faith in Him! I smiled with every progressive statement of your family’s story. Thank you for giving God glory for your story!
And tell it, sister 🙂 Tell it at every opportunity! We all need the reminder to not give up, and your story certainly refreshes the weary soul; it’s obvious why you are compelled to tell it. Praise God <3
O the glory and majesty of Almighty God. I agree with Cathy, you drew me in and I felt like I was standing with you in your backyard, gazing and awestruck seeing God’s glory revealed in His heavens. And I also felt as if I was standing in the midst of the shepherds that very night.
And I Loved your point on what the angel did not tell the shepherds to do. Well studied and presented my sister in Christ!
Terry 🙂 It’s always a treat to see your name here “fwiend”. Thank you for all your encouragement. And your thumbs up for my study and presentation means the world to me. You know my ultimate desire is to honor God. I think it glorifies Him when I say I hope to honor you for all that you poured into this gal.
Absolutely beautiful, Charla! I love your heart and your abandonment to God. Much love, Barbara
Barbara, thank you for taking precious time to read and respond. I’m grateful for His goodness, and for His willingness to take a heart like mine and transform it for His glory. Much love to you, too ?
Thank you for responding, Charla. Your post so encouraged me. I decided, and finally figured out, how to add to my profile sentence??? I I wanted something that conveyed my heart, so I took my stand for Christ with my sentence. Thank you for your inspiration to do so. ❤️
Of course! Praise God for how He moves among His people. I’m so happy for you!
Beautiful!
Melanie! It’s so nice to see you ? Thank you, friend. I pray y’all have a Merry Christmas!
I enjoyed reading your story. I can just picture the excitement of the shepherds as the angels gathered. Today, we have even more reason to celebrate. The Holy Spirit shares so much with us every day!
Howdy Nancy 🙂 It’s so nice to see you here. Yes! We have every reason to celebrate the good news of Christ with us. Thank you for sharing, and have a Merry Christmas!
Thank you for sharing your story, Charla. I felt like I was standing with you, gazing at the “rainbow moon”. What a wonder that must’ve been to behold…and then to bring in the story of the shepherds? This is exactly what my soul needed today.
I have what some may feel is a silly story — but it’s the first story I thought of (and I couldn’t wait to tell others at the time). Years ago, when my husband was on a business trip, I was home with two little boys. One afternoon, I drove through McD’s and ordered something that required sauce, which I requested. When I got home, I realized they had given me packets of honey instead of sauce. I was bummed and admittedly, a tad grumpy. 🙂 A few days later, I woke up with a horrible sore throat and felt too ill to go anywhere. When I made my cup of hot tea, I reached for my bear-bottled honey but the hubby had used the last drop. And then I remembered… God had provided exactly what I needed through what I felt was a mistake. I love how God shows Himself in the bigness of the sky as well as the smallness of a packet of honey.
I love this! As a friend of mine is known to say, “Won’t He do it?!”
And this is so well said, “I love how God shows Himself in the bigness of the sky as well as the smallness of a packet of honey.”
Thank you for sharing your story. I believe others will read and relate, as did I. Sharing these stories is how we make much of God’s glorious ways of working in our lives. Love you, friend!