Luke 2:8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
As we approach two of the most beautiful days of the year may our hearts truly be focused on the miraculous human birth of our Savior and our God. Think about the words of the angel to the shepherds when he said, “I bring you good news of great joy.” In checking out the two words “great joy” I found some depth we might not think of as we look at it casually. Strong’s Concordance defines “great” as “Large, great, in the widest sense.” Then as I looked up “joy” I found “cheerfulness, i.e. Calm delight.” So we are looking at the widest sense possible of cheerfulness and calm delight. Oh may these be the words that describe our souls as we contemplate the amazing birth of our Savior.