Day 3: The Shepherds (Turn Aside)

To Stay Or To Go?

When I was in my first year of ministry college, I was elected to lead a small group of five women. We met together after school once a week to connect, talk through reflection questions, and pray for each other.

One afternoon, as class for the afternoon was ending and we were due to leave the auditorium and move on to our weekly small group meeting, it became apparent that God was doing something in the room. People were lingering, continuing to worship. I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the room as people wept, danced, and lay on the floor.

As a small group leader, I had a decision to make. Would I pull my girls out and continue on with our schedule, or would we stay and enter into what God was doing in the room? Honestly, my first instinct was not to linger. I have a high sense of responsibility and cancelling small group did not feel responsible. I love plans, I love structure, and I love sticking to plans. 😆 But I (somewhat reluctantly) let the girls know that we would stay and skip small group, because if anyone was allowed to interrupt my plans, it was God!

Afterwards, one of the women in the small group let me know that what unfolded was one of the most powerful encounters with God she had ever had, and she thanked me for staying in the room instead of leaving for our scheduled small group meeting.

Moses + The Burning Bush

Do you remember the story of Moses and the burning bush? In Exodus 3, we see Moses tending to the sheep of his father-in-law. He is being faithful to what God has called him to do in that moment - tend sheep. He's being a responsible steward of what God has asked him to do, even if it felt a bit mundane in that moment. After all - he grew up as royalty in Egypt.

As Moses was being obedient and keeping the flock, he noticed something supernatural - a bush that was burning, but not burning out. It says that Moses 'turned aside' (v3) to see what God was doing in that moment. And because of his pursuit of God above something else really good - faithfully tending sheep - Moses had an encounter with God and received insight into His calling and what God wanted to do.

The Shepherds + Angels

What does the burning bush and my reluctance to 'turn aside' from my small group plans have to do with the Nativity?

We also see shepherds faithfully tending their sheep. They are doing what God asked them to do - faithfully care for the flock they're entrusted with. Then their normal, everyday call was radically interrupted by the supernatural - angels and the glory of the Lord shining around them. And they had a decision to make - 'turn aside' to see what the Lord was doing, or stick to their plan. (Spoiler alert - they travelled to Bethlehem and met the King of Kings.)

Your Life Today

In our own lives, God is so pleased with us living out our 'ordinary calling' - whether that's raising children, living out a particular vocation, pursuing a career, or even pastoring in a church. But there will be times when God interrupts our 'ordinary' good thing we're called to do, and we have a decision to make in that moment - will we continue on without responding, tending to our 'sheep', or will we turn aside to see what it is God is wanting to do or say?