As we journey through Advent this year, we reflect once more on the Christmas story and we are reminded how God reveals His plans to such a wide variety of people: a young women engaged to be married (but not yet married!), a carpenter, some magi or wise men, and a group of shepherds who were watching over their sheep in the fields! Most of these people are not wealthy people in positions of power, authority or even important social standing, just regular people.

A worker in Morocco writes:

Living in North Africa affords us glimpses of what life might have been like for the people in lots of Bible stories. Some of the parables have come to life for us, seeing life in North Africa has helped many situations and references make sense in a whole new way.

When we first moved here it blew my mind to see shepherds walking with their sheep through the fields on the side of the road. This still happens?! In my country, sheep farms tend to be enormous properties. It takes many men on horse back to round them up! But here, a small flock is tended to by a man, or even a young boy or girl. Often they are on their own in the middle of a big field. Sometimes a group of them supervise a flock together.

It helped me appreciate how David, before he became King David, had lots of time on his own with God, out in the fields, singing songs on his harp, connecting with the God of all creation. It has also helped me understand how important the shepherds in the fields must have felt when the angels appeared to tell them the Good News about Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem! Being a shepherd may be important from the point of view of the family, as sheep are an investment. But its not a position of great importance or high standing in the community. And yet, God chose a group of shepherds to be the first ones to hear the good news, tidings of great joy! What an honour! What a privilege! I think the shepherds understood the importance; they dropped everything to go and see the baby Jesus. I’ve often wondered what happened to the sheep they were looking after? Did they bring them into the town of Bethlehem? Did they leave them out in the fields and come back later to count them and make sure they were all still there?

Sharing with a Shepherd
We’ve had the joy of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with a shepherd and his family living in our town. We’ve been able to have a few Bible studies with them. The wife even brought together a group of her friends to listen to the Bible study on one occasion. These are simple folks. We are learning how to share the Good News in a simple way.

Pray for this family :

• Ask God to open the eyes of their hearts and minds, to perceive and receive the Truth about who Jesus really is.
• Ask God to increase their curiosity.
• May they know that we are speaking something very important.
• May they hunger to know more.
• May they be bold to continue to have Bible studies in their home and invite their friends and neighbours to join in.
• Pray that God will protect them from the lies and deception of the satan.
• Pray that the wonderful gift of salvation will come to this shepherd and his whole family this Christmas season.