Human trust is mutual. I can trust you because you’ve proven to be trustworthy. You can trust me because I’ve proven myself trustworthy. But trust in God’s eyes is really a one-way street. We can trust him because he has shown himself trustworthy even when we are not.

That night in Bethlehem, every promise God made concerning the salvation of his people was either fulfilled, or the fulfillment was put in process through that little babe in the manger. After hundreds of years of waiting, after 400 years of complete silence, God showed up in a way he had never done before. Imagine, the creator becoming the created!

We can trust God to say what he says he’ll do, but can he trust us? Sadly, no. He knows we will fail. He knows our best intentions will fall short. He knows our passions for this life will pull us away from passion for him. Still, he comes to us, dwells in us, forgives us, loves us.

The very first people to hear about the birth of Jesus were shepherds. In that time period there probably was no people trusted less than shepherds! Shepherds were crass. Shepherds were dishonest. In some peoples eyes, shepherds were lower on the social ladder than the sheep they tended to! Yet, shepherds were the first ones God showed himself to.

Why did he show up to these people? Why not the priests who should have been expecting Messiah’s appearance in Bethlehem according to their study of scripture? Why not to the king or nobility?

The answer lies in the God we serve. Our Heavenly Father reveals himself to those who need him most, to those who can’t be trusted. That night, the shepherds saw God in a whole new light. They left all they had to see this babe in the manger. Suddenly their personal desires became second place. They had a new story to tell. They set aside the social stigma. They set aside the anger and resentment they may have felt for the way they were looked upon. Why? Because they’d seen Jesus.

How has trusting Jesus changed your life? Are you willing to risk all to tell others about him?