“And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.’” 
– Luke 2:8-12


Have you ever been in a situation where suddenly your assumptions or thoughts about a specific person or thing were pretty much blown off the map? Maybe it was the moment you realized the “little” test you “studied” for was really an overwhelming obstacle you had no chance of passing. Or the moment you realized that he or she really does like you a lot! Or how about the moment you realized your team was completely overmatched? Or...well, you get the point.


Read Luke 2:8-12. The shepherds experienced one of those moments in a big, big way. It’s safe to say that the shepherds knew God. Or they knew of Him as well as they could. They were Israelites, so they were, after all, God’s people. But everything they thought they knew about God and His ways was blown out of the water that night. Look at the description in verse 9: “the glory of the Lord shone around them.” Can you imagine? God was no longer an idea to them; He was real. He had broken into this world, and it’s entirely safe to say the world was never the same.


The power behind this simple truth is life-changing. If you let God break into your world, you’ll realize that what you thought you knew about Him was nothing compared to who He really is. He’s far more loving, gracious, merciful, powerful, sovereign, and righteous than we could ever imagine. Christmas is all about God exceeding our expectations, so let that truth change the way you live your life today.



QUESTIONS:


Imagine you're minding your business, doing your job, and all of a sudden, the glory of the Lord is shining around you. How do you respond? What do you think?


What assumptions do you have about God and who He is? What would it look like for Him to exceed that?