God's Glory with the Shepherds

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Luke 2:9

I wonder why God chose to announce Jesus’s birth to the shepherds. The angels could have appeared to the priests in the temple a couple miles from Bethlehem. Or to some townsfolk who were devout Jews. Instead he chose the open field where a group of bottom dwelling sheep herders huddled by a fire. The angel appeared and the glory of the Lord shone around them…not just the angel and choirs but God’s own glory shines in brilliant light. God’s glory is present with these outcasts, these low-lifes, these men sleeping under the stars outside of town. God’s message---good news for ALL people…our Savior is born! These lonely, isolated, rough shepherds get to be a part of Jesus’s humble beginning. They get to share this experience for the rest of their lives. They go from terrified men to praising testimonies of the good news! God with them changed them as well! Let’s ask God to shine his glory on our hearts and build courage and purpose in us just as he did with the shepherds.
 
Father, thank you for choosing the least of these through out your life and ministry. It’s encouraging to know that it’s not only the perfect and put together who get to experience your glory. The everyday people, the obscure, ordinary. Us. Lord, we need a Savior as much today as the nation of Israel needed back then. We ask that you’d shine your glory light into our souls and that we’d shine your love and compassion in this world.