Luke 2:9  Then an angel of the Lord stood before them,  and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. (CSB)

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Now and again, I see something in a familiar story I had not noticed before. For example: In Tim Allen’s movie The Santa Clause, there is a school classroom scene where Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is speaking to the class on Career Day. Seated behind Charlie, Scott’s son, is an elf who is keeping tabs on Scott and Charlie. I never saw the elf until someone in a YouTube video pointed him out. ([https://bit.ly/3VCHjoN)

Likewise, and more importantly, I never noticed what this verse says. These words, in particular, have escaped my notice: “an angel of the Lord stood before them.” My focus on the angels has always been the midnight angel choir in verses 13 and 14. The Lone Angel of verse 9 has always been swallowed up by the “multitude of the heavenly host.” 

Yet on that silent night, holy night, as the evening hours of waiting, watching, and wondering about the stars lingered on, someone appeared among the shepherds who had not walked up, had not ridden in, and was not expected. He was just there. And he was overlooked until he started talking. And what he said was shocking. The whole event was terrifying. (See the last four words of verse 9 above.)

It’s hard to sneak up on shepherds in open fields in the darkness. Their eyes are trained for predators. Their senses are alerted to every bleat and bah and snap of a twig. But here was a man who had not been there before and hadn’t arrived there the usual way. There was no polite greeting, just a “Don’t be afraid” and an immediate message that was unexpected and overwhelming. 

The news was great joy for all people, beginning with the lowest and the least lingering among the sheep of their long night’s labor.

Great fear soon turned into greater joy.

Here is the central idea for you and me. God is closer to our fears than we know. His presence is immediate but most often unannounced. He has a message for our every problem and all of our pain. He will replace our time-limited terror with endless joy. 

What’s your struggle today? 
How can you turn that problem into something you pray? 
What is it you long to hear God say? 

Ask God to open your eyes to his reality. 
Ask him for his words of truth and life for this situation. 
Ask him to replace your problem with joy bigger than the burden you bear. 

And keep your eyes open for what and who was not there, at least as far as you knew. 

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I will trust God to replace my problems with joy greater than the burdens I bear.

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Our Father, you are so good and so kind. There is no problem we will ever bear, no pain we will ever experience, that will not ultimately and finally be replaced with much greater joy. Open our eyes to how you are at work around us. Do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Tell us what we need to hear. Lead us into doing what needs to be done. Thank you for how our whole lives are lived in your immediate presence. Amen.