There were some shepherds in that part of the country who were spending the night in the fields, taking care of their flocks. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone over them. They were terribly afraid, but the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid! I am here with good news for you, which will bring great joy to all the people. This very day in David's town your Savior was born - Christ the Lord! And this is what will prove it to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared with the angel, singing praises to God: "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!" When the angels went away from them back into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us."

Luke 2:8-15

Shepherds were notoriously irreligious, ranked by the rabbis with prostitutes and habitual criminals. They were outcasts, barred from the synagogue and polite society. The shepherds assumed God would never accept them, and they feared Him. God spoke to them. God knew that the shepherds, like so many people who appear indifferent to spiritual things, were quietly longing for God.

God's gift to a dying world is the life-giving Savior.

Our Daily Bread - December 20, 2002