Wednesday, December 12, 2012

A Heart Devoted to God


"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord'" (Luke 2:8-11 NIV).

When the President of the United States prepares to make an important announcement to the nation, beforehand he gathers important congressional leaders together to give them the news first.  Always the leaders are informed before the common folk.  

How amazing then it is that when God decided the time had come for the coming of the Messiah to earth, He didn't send his angelic representatives to appear to the High Priest of Jerusalem or to a group of Pharisees.  They were the religious leaders of the day.  Instead God chose a group of working class folk to whom to make His announcement.  

From this we can deduce that God is not interested in trappings, be they religious or socioeconomic.  He is concerned with the heart.   He demonstrates this throughout the Christmas story.  Mary was just a teenage girl and her fiancé, Joseph, was just a carpenter.  Their extraordinary child was born amidst stable animals because they could find no place else to stay.  Simeon, who prophesied about the baby in the Temple, was a devout man, but nothing else is mentioned about his status.  Anna, the prophetess, was an old widow who lived at the Temple.  Being a woman and a widow, she literally had no status in her society.  

Yet God chose to use these men and women to play key roles in this cosmic event.  A perusal of biblical history shows a definite pattern of God using what we might consider the most unlikely of people, David, Esther, and the disciples to name a few more.  

It is easy in a world where status is held in such high esteem to be found wanting in matters of the heart.  But if we want to be used of God, then we need to resist this temptation and become like the men of women of Scripture--having hearts that are, first and foremost, devoted to God.

Today, like the men and women of the Christmas story, seek after God, desiring to be the man or woman He wants you to be.  

© Jim Musser 2012

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