“For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given,” Isaiah 9:6

 This is the Christmas season and we rejoice in the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ!  I think it is safe to say it was the most significant event the world had ever seen!  So who did God reveal this event to?  Who did He choose to take part in this incredible birth of the Son of God?  The religious leaders?  No!  The wise and the rich?  The powerful and the strong?  No!  He chose the little people, the hidden people!

Why would God do that?  That’s not how WE would announce such a significant event today!  He chose Mary, a young, unmarried virgin from the insignificant town of Nazareth.  She had the inestimable privilege of giving birth to the Son of God through the miraculous conception of the Holy Spirit!  And the father?  Joseph, a poor carpenter, an unnoticed man, although in the very lineage of David.  Actually, Joseph should have been King, but that’s another story.

Who did God announce the birth to?  The lowest level in society, shepherds!  Then there was Simeon, a man that God saw as “righteous and devout,” waiting for the “consolation” of Israel, the Messiah.  He was right there at the Temple when baby Jesus was brought to be circumcised.  Simeon was given the HUGE privilege of taking the baby Jesus in his arms and blessing Him!  Then there was Anna, a widow who lived at the temple.  “She never left, but worshipped God night and day, fasting and praying.”  Luke 2:36-38  She saw her Messiah and gave thanks to God.  WOW!  All of this is in Luke 2-3.  What a story!  We’ve heard it since we were children and the wonder of it captivates us.  But notice something with me!

Friends, these were all little people.  Why in the world would God choose THEM?  Oh, God does not choose as man chooses.  He looks at the heart!  In every church and in every ministry, there are “behind the scenes” people,  “little people!”  These are people who carry on ministries faithfully from year to year with very little notice, just because they love the Lord.  We have a tendency to exalt the “big” people, those up front, famous people, well known speakers and writers and that’s fine.  But God especially notices the unnoticed, those who hold things together.  Praise God!  They are the backbone of every ministry!  He will not miss one thing done for Him!  Prayer warriors!  Servants!   Little people!  Hidden from the world, but not from God!  He actually DELIGHTS to reward them!

So, the next time you need a little encouragement to carry on your hidden ministry of love, remember how much God loves you.  He sees what you do and someday He will reward you beyond your wildest dreams!  Personally, I think God reserves His greatest rewards for the hidden people who just serve because they love Him with all their hearts, unnoticed by other people.  If you doubt that, ready Luke 2-3 again!

Pastor Terry