And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:8-11, KJV

Can you imagine? What must it have been like for these shepherds, when the angel came to them and announced the birth of Christ the Lord? This coming of the Messiah had been greatly wondered about for centuries, and now it was happening. And it was these humble shepherds that God chose to tell first of all, before anyone else, that His Son was born. So, when the angel proclaimed that he was bringing good tidings of great joy, he was in no way exaggerating, for this was the most wonderful news that mankind had received in a very long time.

And the news was only going to get better!

One of the reasons that we read the Word of God is to remind us of the Good News of Jesus Christ. In a world that seems to be filled with only bad news, it sure is nice to keep in mind these good tidings of great joy!

Today's reading is Luke chapter 2. It is filled with the Good News that we all need to keep a proper perspective in a world that is desperate for such good tidings as these.