READ: ISAIAH 43:1; LUKE 2:8-20; JOHN 3:16

When Jesus came into the world, God could’ve invited anyone to welcome Him. God could’ve told the angels to invite priests, soldiers, or kings to visit the newborn King. Instead, He sent the angels to proclaim the news of Jesus’s birth to ordinary, everyday shepherds.

It may seem like a strange thing to do. Why not choose some more powerful, rich, important people? But this odd decision only foreshadows what Jesus would do during His ministry—choose ordinary people. He didn’t just come for the famous people, He came for the everyday people like you and me. We don’t need to worry about being significant to Jesus, we’re already priceless in His eyes!

We’re worth so much to Him that He came to earth to die on the cross for our sins. Not only that, but He rose again, promising that He’ll also raise us from the dead one day. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that He’s preparing a place for us, and He continues to be with us while we wait for the day He’ll renew the world. He loves us that much. We might view ourselves as not worthy of God’s notice, but He has a place for us in His kingdom. We will never be insignificant in God’s eyes. So-called “ordinary” people are important to Him, so much so that He wanted them to be the first to visit His Son. We all have a place in God’s story. • Morgan A. Mitchell

• Have you ever been invited to see a newborn baby? Usually a baby’s parents choose people who are very important to them to be the first to meet their new son or daughter. It’s a big honor. What does it say about God that He wanted shepherds—people who did not serve in the temple, who were not rich or powerful, and who were even looked down upon in society—to be the first ones to meet His newborn Son? (Matthew 10:29-31)

• God created each of us on purpose, and no one is ordinary in His eyes. Jesus embodied this truth when He called people of all walks of life to follow Him. Can you think of a time you felt like you weren’t significant enough for God’s notice? As you read today’s Scripture, consider taking some time to talk to God about this and ask Him to help you see yourself how He sees you.

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15 (NLT)