December 17, 2023: God Chooses You!
- Liana V.
- Dec 17, 2023
- 2 min read
God Chooses You
“And there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.”
Luke 2:8-9
This announcement is one of my favorites. It's moments like these that are found throughout the Bible that prove to me that God is real!!! God is so not like me. He is unlike any of us, because well He is God and we are not. It's why we call God’s kingdom an upside-down kingdom.
I am not sure about you but shepherds are one of a few characters I can identify with in the Bible. They aren't the white-collared folks of their community, they are the ones with calloused hands, those who get dirty working alongside their colleagues, who’s sweat is mixed with every accomplishment, and likely were looked down upon or deemed beneath by those whom they served.
I've never been considered royal, celebrity, elite, or high society. And neither were these shepherds. That's good news for us, because these are whom God chose to reveal the Messiah to first. He hadn't chosen to go to the king, his court, or to even the king’s servants. God chose to go to those who were the farthest removed from the king.
Shepherds were considered second-class, untrustworthy, and even unclean because of the work they did. Isn’t that striking? This is who was invited into the presence of Jesus, God manifest in the flesh first. He welcomed the second-class, unclean ones to behold the glory of God first….At this time there were so many rules, laws, and ideas on who was able to be received by God. Essentially only the ones deemed clean, righteous, or pious were received by God.
Your dirty past or let’s be real your dirty present is not too much for God to handle. In fact, God wants you to come to Him just as you are. He invites you to Him first!
Let this be an announcement to you today! Come, behold Him. You are welcome and invited into His presence. Come! Don’t delay, the King is calling you!
Prayer: Thank you for calling me. Thank you for not just calling me but loving me before I even heard your call. I am forever grateful but also reminded that it isn't perfection that you love- it's me as I am. I'll leave the perfecting up to you and love you with my whole heart, mind, and soul. In Jesus' name, amen.
Homemade Gifts
I made Very Berry Jalopeno Jam.
I took the first recipe and altered it slightly. I used a big bag of frozen 4 berry fruit from grocery store (maybe even 2) and cooked as directed in recipe. I also had to use a food mill for the seeds. There was just way way too many. Can as directed.
I didn't photograph the jam completed. But you can use a piece of fabric and cover the top with a rubber band and bow. Or just give it away as is. I hope you enjoy!
Jam can be eaten with peanut butter sandwiches, toast, and used on charcuterie boards. Yum!
We are His special treasure, and He is ours! Love this Liana❣️