There are a few walking narrowly along. The light shines within. Old Words guide the Way and they sing, … as they travel on their journeys each day. (1)
From the rising of the sun until it goes down, their praises flow and their petitions are made. The few on the road that is narrow and hard, talk to their Father as if they can see. (2)
They tell Him their troubles and He … gives them back hope. Hope beyond sight and a Faith unseen. Each day they travel with their face in The Book, with a heart soft as clay, letting Him mold it His way. (3)
But they are now hated. ‘The few’ are viewed with scorn. They that believe, and sing of the old Story, and have love for others that abounds. (4)
“Keep silent,” are the words often heard from the crowd. “Truth is what each of us make in ourselves. You ‘few’ take your Truth and you go far away. We are the world and we have the say.
You ‘few’ teach that your Way is, … the only. Who do you think you are? You teach hatred of other’s beliefs to our children. What ‘the few’ say are ‘lies’, we say are ‘truth’. What you ‘few’ say is ‘evil’, we say is ‘good.’ Don’t take away our choice. You now be silent. We are more than you anyhow. We have the voice.”
But a still small voice that rises in ‘the few’ gives courage and breath for the words to speak: “The children are led by the blind in this day. There is a dangerous pit ahead. We can see. We see. (5)
There is an enemy that wants to bring the children of the world to destruction. (6) ‘Turn, turn around. There is death in your way.’ This is what love is, not ‘hate’ as you say. (7)
Hey we know your thoughts, let us speak up at last. Many of us were as you in the past. But there was a moment, a moment in time, like the shepherds in that old Story told every year, at the time when the stores are filled with the man in red and a beard –
we were trudging along in our fatigue and our fret. We had no peace, we had no rest. We were tired and depressed. We were as the shepherds that cold and dark, mysterious night, when an angel came with a flash of God’s Light.
Just like that story, but this time, our own. There was fear, because we heard for ourselves, of this Savior that was born. (8) Oh, His name we knew, all too well. Many a time to throw it around when life felt like …
Well, OK, there was a change. Suddenly, it came –
– as if a heavenly host of heaven’s angels sang, ‘Glory to God in the highest (9) heaven, and on earth, even in your earthly situation, peace with men, (with you that is), personally God is well pleased. Turn to Him!’
“Don’t be afraid of what others will think. I’ve come to bring Good News to you. News of great events that you know through and through. But today the Light will shine in you as the stars, …
“This day is born to you, a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord”, (10)
“I Am here, and I know who you are. I come to bring you joy and happiness.” This wasn’t the voice of an angel, this was God drawing me near. No longer a stranger. No longer a distant thought. God came flooding into my heart …
In an instant, just as the shepherds in Luke 2, I had to see if these things were true. A new hunger and stirring found its way in my heart. A new-old Book had to be taken from the shelf.
By searching to see, and asking, ‘do I believe’, I began to understand the purpose of the Tree. (11) He came to die, not for ‘them’ but … for me.”
and I believed. Wouldn’t you?
I became one of ‘the few’. I could no longer worry what ‘everyone else thought.’ Were they my idol? Were they my deceivers? To walk with the mainstream and frown on the ‘believers’.
What if ‘the few’ did stay silent? What if the Word stopped going out? Well, it is reported – that even the rocks would cry out. (12)
Thank you for taking a ‘few’ to listen. You see, God is love. And He loves all the children. Even all the children of the world who hate Him.
He came to suffer and He came to die, that we might live and tell others why. As those smelly shepherds, that mysterious night, when the angels came and the sky was lit with light,
when they went to see if what was said was true, they then proclaimed the baby’s Life was truly given, as Savior of the world, to bring peace and rest and happiness. Truth is discovered to be…
a Person.
Oh, that the world would turn today. Then a Merry Christmas each would have, everyday.
Merry Christmas, the Christ has come. In summer and fall and each season long. To the world whom He knew, would largely reject Him. But today, Today, can be the day you receive – eternal life. How? Simply, Believe.
Jesus is our Immanuel. Oh how glorious The Story, that ‘the few’ will gladly tell!
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(1) Matthew 7:13,14. “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell[a] is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”
(2) Psalm 113:2-4. “Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. The Lord is exalted over all the nations,his glory above the heavens.”
(3) Matthew 6:9-13 NLT . “Pray like this. Our Father in heaven,may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
(4) Matthew 5:10-12. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
(5) Mathew 15:14. “… they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
(7) Matthew 3:2. “… Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
(8) Luke 2
(9) Luke 2:14.
(10) Luke 2:11.
(11) John 10:7-11. “…so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
(12) Luke 19:40, (Jesus said), “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”