Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Angels, from the Realms of Glory
By: James Montgomery, 1771-1854 (1816)
Listen to this simple piano version as you read, or watch the video complete with lyrics then read. Please make certain to enjoy the video log below.
We continue our journey through Advent as we look at the second part of this stanza. We started with the shepherds’ location and activity, and now shift to God’s arrival on the scene and the change that occurs. Let’s think about this.
God with Us
Stop for just a moment and think about those three words. Seriously. I will wait. “God with us”.
That is some amazing stuff right there.
When Jesus was laid in that manger, God was fully present there, making His dwelling among us. He demonstrated in the Incarnation that He was not far off, but was with us. The One who made the sun, which grew the hay, that made the bed, now laid asleep upon it. Mind-boggling.
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23 ESV
He is with us, ergo He is with you. I think the first part of that is easier for each of us to accept. Ok, God came to dwell among us. But the second part gets a little harder. God is with me? I believe it. Spirit, help me receive it. And He will.
Think about the one who first heard these words, quoted from Isaiah 7:14. Joseph. He was in a bad spot. His betrothed had told him she was pregnant, and he had not yet been with her. No to mention she insisted God was the Father. Think about how crazy that must have sounded.
He was likely trying to figure a way out of this difficult decision. Then an angel appeared to him and said these words. And as far as we know he never wavered from his resolute decision to stay by her side; after all, months later it is clear he is still beside her in the Bethlehem stable when his stepson is born.
So what about you? Do you find yourself in an unenviable situation? How is God showing you He is “with” you? Will you remain resolute like Joseph, trusting that God is there through even confusion and pain? Take a moment and think about your circumstance, and invite God to be Immanuel to you today.
Infant Light
This is another beautiful thought. The star could be referred to as the infant light, in that it was His natal star which the wise men said announced His birth. At the same time Jesus is also the infant light Himself, Light of the World, in infant form.
This image nicely captures that duality. While the star is absolutely shining down on that manger, the manger has an internal glow emanating from baby Jesus. This makes me think of how God shined His light that night, and set a precedent for how He wants to shine His light still, in our darkness.
The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned. Matthew 4:16 ESV
The people dwelling in darkness. That is us. And what is that darkness? It is darkness of soul caused by the shadow of death. Until we find the Light of Jesus, we live in the region and shadow of death. The NLT says “those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow.” That is a very powerful and clear picture. Or is it?
If we are living in a land where death casts its’ shadow, my first question is what is the shape of that shadow. What does the shadow of death look like? The shadow of a hand is easy to picture. The image here makes that clear. It is almost as if you can imagine the shadow picking up the leaf. But it can not.
It may seem very real, but a shadow is powerless, other that to block out light from the area equal to the shape creating it. Death casts a large shadow but it is not powerful. Once we see the Light of Jesus the shadow of death can be clearly seen for what it is, a powerless two dimensional thing.
Yonder shines the infant Light. Jesus at His birth was the light that dawned. We while walking in darkness have seen a great light because Jesus revealed it to us. The shepherds were the first to see it, and they told everyone what they had seen, so the light began to spread. Will you shine that Bethlehem Light?
What shadow is death casting over you today? More than just physical death, there are relational, emotional, psychological deaths. Where do you need to see the Light of Jesus shine? Will you invite Him to come and shine into that circumstance or situation? He wants to show you His light. Ask Him today.
Jesus, thank You for residing with us. For coming and being God with us. Your presence changes every situation. Thank you for shining Your light into my darkness. Reveal where death has taken territory in my life and help me to push it back. In Jesus name. Amen.
Bright Thinking!
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Everyone enjoy this podcast and transcript below! It features meditative music and moments to contemplate the Scriptures and reflections shared.
Podcast 12.2 Transcript
Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.
Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Luke 2:8a ESV
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field,
This story is continued from the previous passage where we are told of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. These fields were outside Bethlehem. That is where these shepherds lived. God came to them where they lived. How kind of Him to do that! And He has been doing that ever since. Thank Him for meeting us where we live.
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
Luke 2:8b ESV
keeping watch over their flock by night.
And they were just doing their job. Going about their normal activity. When suddenly God sent an unmistakable message to them. God still comes to us in our daily labors. He makes His presence known to us, but we must be ready to receive it. No doubt these shepherds were. Are you?
God with us is now residing;
Matthew 1:23 ESV
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
This verse quotes the words from Isaiah 7:14, and then adds the explanation, “God with us”. The news the shepherds heard was first revealed here to Joseph. He came to dwell with us so that He could live a perfect life, then offer it to save us from our sins. Give thanks to the Father for becoming Immanuel in His son.
Yonder shines the infant light:
Matthew 4:16 ESV
The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.”
Jesus at His birth was the light that dawned. We though walking in darkness have seen a great light because Jesus revealed it to us. The shepherds were the first to see it, and they told everyone what they had seen, so the light began to spread. Will you shine that Bethlehem Light?
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.
Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:
Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.
Take the awareness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time, be Resonant.
Image Attributions
Now Residing – https://pixabay.com/photos/living-nativity-nativity-creche-3885693/
Yonder Shines – https://pixabay.com/illustrations/jesus-christ-god-holy-spirit-3852478/
Shadow – https://pixabay.com/photos/reaching-shadow-heart-silhouette-454808/
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