“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day.” Genesis 3:8
“After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” 1 Kings 19:12
“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.” Luke 2:8
Throughout scripture, God shows up in the history of the world in big ways. Sometimes He makes a grand entrance. Other times, you have to be keenly aware that He has entered the scene.
The passages above represent three of my favorite. They are reminders to me that God can show up when least expected, and in ways never imagined:
- After the temptation and fall, Adam and Eve hid from the voice of the Lord who had dropped by for a visit.
- Though Elijah witnessed an amazing act of God on Mt. Carmel, he feared for his life and needed to be reminded that God is both great and small.
- Then the shepherds – oh, those shepherds. Simple men. Simple creatures. A quiet night, just minding their own business, then angels appear.
In all these situations, God chose to speak or appear quietly, and almost unnoticed. In fact, the birth of Jesus did go unnoticed by many. The faithful followers of Yahweh at the time had their eyes fixed on the coming of a warrior Messiah. They needed and desired deliverance from their captivity. Many lived their life to the letter of the Law and became caught up in the rituals and routines that ensued.
The shepherds, who I assume were faithful followers of God, had a life to sustain and did not get caught up in such piety. They were the first ones to be let in on God’s little secret. The irony thickens as the dutifully righteous set began the next day as they always had without knowing their God had landed on Earth.
With that, I wonder. What are we missing? What is it that God has, currently, or is about to do in this world to which many of us will be oblivious?
We go on week to week caught up in many discussions: seeker/traditional; Calvinist/Armenian; liturgical/free. And that’s just the religious rabble! There are many other thoughts and conversations that cloud our attention from the spiritual.
I’m growing these days. What’s churning in my soul is a call to listen. I hope that the next big move of God hasn’t already passed by while I was busy being loud in life.
What do you think we’re missing? What’s churning in your soul?
28. July 2009 at 5:03 PM
Brian,
A very nice post! We often do miss out on God already at work around us do to the cares of this world and sin. As for the shepherds, the text does not ascertain their spiritual condition. Often in the bible, God comes to sinful men/women who don’t know Him to make them His own and to reveal His will.