Get Down on Your Knees

The Christmas story goes like this: ‘There were… shepherds… keeping watch over their flocks by night. And behold an angel of the Lord stood before them… The angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ (Luke 2:8–12 NKJV) Have you ever wondered why the angel first talked to shepherds, a job considered lowest on the social ladder? Think about it: if he’d talked to church leaders they’d have had to consult their doctrinal texts books and denominational boards. If he’d appeared to celebrities they’d have had to check and see who was watching. If he’d appeared to chief executives they’d have had to consult their diaries and spreadsheets. So he gave the greatest news story in history to those with nothing to hide, no reputation to protect and no ladder to climb; people with humble hearts and open minds; people with simple, child-like faith. Getting the idea? Outside Bethlehem there is a church marking Jesus’ birthplace. Behind the altar is a cave with a symbolic star embedded in the floor. You can enter the cave, but with one requirement—you must kneel. The door is too low to get in standing up! God still operates that way. You will find Him among the commonplace. But to experience Him, you must get down on your knees.