God’s Word Made Known

“But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.” – Luke 2:19-20

When the angels appeared to the shepherds on that quiet night, their message was clear: “Which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2:15, NKJV). The shepherds didn’t trust the message because an angel delivered it—they trusted it because it aligned with God’s Word. They knew the Scriptures. They knew the promises. And when heaven spoke, they recognized the voice behind the messenger. Paul later warned the Galatians that even if “an angel from heaven” preached a different gospel, it must be rejected (Galatians 1:6–8). The shepherds give us a powerful reminder: we don’t follow personalities, emotions, or impressive voices—we follow the truth of God’s Word.

Once the shepherds heard the message, they moved. Scripture says they went “with haste.” Something in their hearts said, “God is working—I want to be part of it!” And when they found Jesus exactly as the angel described, they couldn’t keep it to themselves. They told everyone. Their encounter with Christ produced a natural overflow of joy and testimony. Meanwhile, Mary quietly watched in wonder as prophecy unfolded before her eyes. She had heard God’s promises months earlier, but now she was seeing them in action. Sometimes God’s work leaves us speechless—not confused, but amazed.

As the shepherds returned to their fields, they praised and worshiped God because everything happened “just as it was told them.” God’s Word proved true. And isn’t it beautiful that God chose shepherds—ordinary, overlooked, even unclean men—to be the first witnesses of the Savior’s birth? As Warren Wiersbe said, shepherds were practical men, not easily fooled. If they said they saw angels and found the Messiah, you could believe them. God entrusted the greatest news in history to humble men who were willing to listen, obey, and proclaim.

Jesus came “to seek and to save that which was lost” and “to serve, not to be served.” As we celebrate His birth, we must ask: Are we serving Him where He wants us, or only where we want to be? Like the shepherds, may we be people who know God’s Word, respond quickly to His leading, and joyfully share the good news wherever He places us.

“The shepherds went back to their flocks, but they went back different men—praising and glorifying God. Worship is not an escape from life; it is a preparation for life.” – Warren Wiersbe