Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
The Shepherds of the First Christmas
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, 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.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:8-20 NIV
Since my one word for 2023 is Shepherd, I would be remiss to pass up the opportunity to blog about the Shepherds in the Christmas story. 🐑😁 There are two lessons from this story that I want to touch on.
The verses above from Luke 2 might be familiar to you. They are some we often hear around this time of year.
Jesus came for all
Something I find interesting is that the angels came to share this miraculous news about Jesus with shepherds, who were not respected at the time. Did the shepherds feel overlooked by their peers? Did they feel shunned by those around them? Due to their occupation, many people looked down on them.
“Most people of status throughout the empire viewed shepherds as lowly and sometimes as rough, unclean or even dangerous.” [1]
Yet one night these shepherds’ lives were changed forever. They were told of the most amazing news. And imagine the sight when they saw the angel and a great company of heavenly host.
The story of Jesus’ birth and this scene with the shepherds reminds us that Jesus came for everyone. His birth, life, love, death, and resurrection was for you and me and anyone who will accept Him. Even if you feel overlooked and forgotten by those around you, Jesus sees you. He is there for you. Always.
I love one of Jesus’ names – Emmanuel (also spelled Immanuel) because the meaning of this name is “God with us.” He is always with us. His birth brought great joy for us all. He also brought us peace, love, and hope.
And most of all, Jesus offers us salvation. These precious gifts are ours, if we accept Jesus into our hearts.
In her book, The Gifts of Christmas, Sheila Walsh shares, “I have a letter on my desk from a prisoner who wants to know if he has sinned too much to be able to receive the love and grace of God. There is no hope for his release on this earth, but I was able to send him a Bible and announce the good news that because of Jesus, everyone who calls on His name has a future and a hope for all eternity.” [2]
Reflecting on the Christmas story and the shepherds who heard the good news, may we remember how loved we are. He will accept anyone who calls on His name. You are never too far away for the Lord to reach you. He is only a breath away.
Jesus can use all of us
After the shepherds received this word, they believed it to be true. They decided to “go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened.” [v 15] Then the shepherds shared this outstanding news with others. “They spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child.” [v 17]
These shepherds became the first missionaries to share this joyful news about the Messiah. These shepherds were having a very ordinary night, tending to the sheep, when their whole world changed.
The shepherds of the Christmas story remind us that God can use all of us in His story. We might feel inadequate and unqualified, but God can and will use us for good, if we allow Him to.
Charles Stanley wrote, “God cares about everyone, despite his or her occupation or standing in society. By Jewish tradition, shepherds were known to be spiritually unclean. Yet the Lord chose these men to proclaim the birth announcement of his Son—the Savior of the world. The angel told them not to fear, but to open their eyes and watch for the wonderfully good thing that the Lord was doing for them and for the whole world—something that would bring great joy to everyone.” [3]
Every year we celebrate Christmas. Yet often with the busyness of the season, we might forget how weighted this miraculous gift is. Jesus’ birth means so much. Jesus came so that we could live. He brought us abundant life [4]. He came to save us. Here on earth and through eternity. Our lives have meaning, thanks to Him. We have a special Savior who loves us beyond measure. I hope this Christmas we all can remember and embrace His unfailing love.
Thank you for reading. I hope you and your families have a blessed and peaceful Christmas. 🎄
© 2018-2023 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
[1] NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Copyright © 2016 by Zondervan
[2] The Gifts of Christmas, © 2023 by Sheila Walsh, Published by Baker Books
[3] The NIV Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, Copyright © 2017 by Thomas Nelson
[4] “… I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10b
A Year With the Good Shepherd
As you may know, my one word for 2023 is Shepherd. As we wrap up each year, I like to look back and see how my word helped shape my year.
Here are some ways this word played a role in my life over the past twelve months.
Psalm 23 played a theme throughout the year. Many evenings when I went to bed, I would go through this famous passage in my mind. Keeping Scripture in our hearts helps us to store truth inside of us. And this is helpful in our every day lives. When different obstacles come against us, we can cling to truth and push away the lies the enemy tries to feed us.
And Psalm 23 in particular teaches us a lot about the Lord’s love and care for His sheep. It reminds us how God is constantly watching over us.
Something that was key in opening my eyes to the true depth of this Psalm and our Shepherd’s provision and protection was the book A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller. This book is phenomenal. I may have highlighted more lines than not. It seemed every sentence in the book had impact. I didn’t blog about this book because I would have been retelling you everything the author said. My hope is that each of you will read it for yourselves.
Therefore, I am holding a giveaway of sorts. If you would like a copy of the book and if you live in the United States (apologies to my friends in other countries) – email me your full name and address before Christmas, and I will send you a copy. My email address is bridget@bridgetathomas.com. I hope to get some emails, because this book will change your perspective about God and how He never stops thinking about us and our well-being.
On the blog this year we studied Jehoshaphat’s story. While this story doesn’t specifically talk about God being our Shepherd, this story was still an excellent reminder that the Lord is there for us and He is looking out for us. It also reminded us to trust Him with the things we face, just as a sheep needs to trust his Shepherd for everything.
Also on the blog this year, we journeyed together through the Gratitude Challenge. Each day we looked at a verse from the Psalms, we had a short prayer, we kept our eyes open to God’s goodness, and we praised Him with music. This was a reminder that God’s extraordinary goodness is always surrounding us. He is faithful and we can lean on Him for all of our needs, just as a sheep relies on his Shepherd.
Something that was humorous to me was remembering when I was in kindergarten we had a performance in which each child played a character from a nursery rhyme. And my character was Little Bo Peep! I’m sure my parents have a picture somewhere. I believe I wore a light blue dress, and I even had a staff. So it seems my journey with sheep and a shepherd began a few decades ago. The nursery rhyme tells us that lost sheep will come home eventually. But something I learned this year is how hard the Good Shepherd chases after His sheep in order to help bring them home. And I’m so thankful for that!
Another humorous story was in the spring of this year when I bought a jacket on Amazon. I wanted something to wear for work when I got chilly. And I wanted to make sure it was nice enough to wear on zoom calls. So I chose a beige Sherpa jacket. One day when I was wearing it, I looked down and laughed. I realized I looked like a sheep in my new jacket!
The word Shepherd has been a special anchor to me, and has helped me to lean on the Good Shepherd. When we remember that the Lord is our Shepherd, this takes a lot of weight off of our shoulders. If a sheep has a Good Shepherd, he doesn’t have to worry about anything. He feels safe because he keeps his focus on his Good Shepherd who will provide all of his needs. And we can do the same. If we only knew how much Jesus was looking out for us, it would change how we face each day.
If you had a word for 2023, I would love to hear how it shaped your year!
Praise the Lord; praise God our savior! For each day he carries us in his arms.
Psalm 68:19 NLT
Gratitude Challenge 2023 Recap
What an amazing November we had! I hope you all enjoyed the gratitude challenge as much as I did. It was an inspiring month, as we drew closer to God. Each day we focused our attention on the Psalms, prayer, gratitude, and praise.
You might have noticed that we started with a verse from Psalm 3 and continued in order until we reached a verse from Psalm 25. In each day’s message I was following a similar pattern to what I discussed in a prior post called “The Best Thing I Did All Year.” In a nutshell, I took a verse from the Psalms and then wrote a prayer about it.
If you enjoyed the gratitude challenge and you want more of it, you can take this pattern and work through more verses in the Psalms on your own. You can either pick up where we left off in Psalm 25. Or start over at the beginning in Psalm 1. When we reflect on verses from the Bible this way it helps us to capture its meaning more deeply and also helps us to learn the heart of God.
Throughout the month, my hope was that all of us would see the goodness of God. We would see that no matter what we were walking through, He was always beside us. Even when life is difficult, our Heavenly Father is trustworthy.
I fear too often we miss the beauty in our own lives because we are just going through the motions, or too busy, or merely trying to survive another day. Life can be a rocky road. But when we lean on God and His strength, we can face each day with peace.
I put together a playlist on Spotify of the 30 songs we listened to this month. If you already have a Spotify account, I believe opening this playlist will be easy. For those of you who don’t have a Spotify account, you might be asked to create one to access. Here is the link. This is the first time I have tried this, so forgive me if anything goes awry. 😅🙏
Thank you for walking through the Gratitude Challenge with me. It is more enriching when we have friends by our side to learn and grow with.
Thank you for reading. I hope you have a blessed weekend.
Gratitude Challenge 2023 – Day 30
In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. – Psalm 25:1
Dear Heavenly Father, although we have reached the end of the gratitude challenge, please help us to keep gratitude in our hearts. Help us to remember all the blessings we discovered this month. Help us to fully grasp just how faithful and trustworthy You are. When we keep gratitude in our daily lives, it transforms our outlook and attitude. And we are so grateful for that. And we are grateful for You, because every good and perfect gift comes from above. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
I’m grateful for this past month and the blessings we uncovered as part of the gratitude challenge,. I’m grateful for all of you who went on this journey with me.
What are you grateful for today?
Gratitude Challenge 2023 – Day 29
Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. … Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty— he is the King of glory. – Psalm 24:8, 10
Dear Lord, what a gift to know the King of glory, who is strong and mighty. You see us, You know us, You hear our prayers, and You care about us. Thank You for being faithful – yesterday, today, and always. We are so grateful we can put our trust in You. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
I am grateful for the King of kings and Lord of lords. I’m grateful that He doesn’t miss any detail of our lives. Yesterday morning I opened the blinds in my home office and saw stunning colors across the sky. (See photo above.) I grabbed my phone and took a picture through the window. The streaks of color continued in each direction, further than the camera could reach. Within fifteen minutes it was gone. I felt God was saying, “Good morning!” A moment to be grateful for.
What are you grateful for?
Gratitude Challenge 2023 – Day 28
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23
Dear Jesus, when we keep in mind that You are the Good Shepherd, we are in awe. With every single detail of our lives, You are there, caring for us. You make sure we are protected and provided for. You don’t sleep, because You are constantly keeping watch of Your sheep. We can never thank You enough for all You have done and continue to do for us. We love You, we are grateful for You, and we put our trust in You. In Your powerful name we pray, Amen.
I’m thankful for Jesus, the Good Shepherd. I’m thankful for the quiet hours when I spend time with the Lord. And I’m thankful for Christian books and blogs that help me learn and grow.
What are you thankful for?
Gratitude Challenge 2023 – Day 27
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. … But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. – Psalm 22:11, 19
God, we are so thankful to know that You are always near. Even if we cannot physically see You, we know it’s true. We walk by faith, not by sight. No matter what we are facing, we are not alone. You are never far from us. Your presence surrounds us. We are grateful for Your faithfulness. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
I’m thankful that God is always near. I’m thankful for the inspiring message in yesterday’s church service. And I am thankful for a new week with a fresh perspective.
What are you thankful for today?
Gratitude Challenge 2023 – Day 26
Be exalted in your strength, Lord; we will sing and praise your might. – Psalm 21:13
Dear God, You are good and You are mighty. May we sing Your praises today and every day. No matter what comes our way, You still deserve our praise. Your mercy and grace have saved us and rescued us. When we keep that in mind, it makes us want to praise You every moment. We are thankful for You, Lord. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
I’m thankful that I can praise God. I’m thankful for His strength and might. I’m thankful for His grace and mercy. And I’m thankful that my dog reminds me to slow down, breathe, and smell the “roses.”
What are you thankful for today?
Gratitude Challenge 2023 – Day 25
Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence. For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken. – Psalm 21:6-7
Dear God, we echo King David’s sentiments. Surely You have granted us blessings and made us glad with the joy of Your presence. We trust in You. Through Your unfailing love, we will not be shaken. We are thankful for You, Lord, and Your presence in our lives. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
I’m thankful for the joy of God’s presence.
I’m also thankful for my grandparents. My grandfathers passed away when I was young, so I didn’t know them well. However, I’m thankful my grandmothers lived into their early nineties. And one of my grandmothers would have celebrated her birthday on Thanksgiving. I miss them, but I am also thankful that our relationship with Jesus means we will see our saved loved ones again.
And I am thankful for Christmas lights and decorations because they bring a bit of joy to our days.
What are you thankful for?
Gratitude Challenge 2023 – Day 24
Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. – Psalm 20:6
God, we are thankful You are on our side. We are thankful You will bring victory with whatever we are facing. We are praying for it and believing for it. Thank you for fighting our battles! In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.
I’m thankful for the victorious power of God’s right hand. I’m thankful that my company always gives us a holiday on Thanksgiving day and the day after Thanksgiving. I’m thankful to have heard my parents’ voices on the phone yesterday. And I got a hug from my friend, Lorraine. We also had crisp Thanksgiving weather yesterday. There was a pretty sunset. And we saw a few deer.
What are you thankful for?
Bridget A. Thomas 