by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

None of our names are found in Matthew 1 or Luke 2 in which the story of Jesus’ birth is told. (Unless your name is Mary or Joseph.) But have you considered that we have something in common with angels and shepherds if we know Jesus? We are heralds.

The writer is a herald. We herald ideas and ideals. We proclaim hope and truth. We give real world solutions for real, daunting problems. The Christian writer is a herald of the Savior of the world. Our words and our lives send a message about where to find perfect love, fulfilling purpose, and lasting peace. All year long we have the privilege of heralding about God who became man, about a carpenter who was really a king, about a man who died on a cross but is alive again.

We herald messages like:

• “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NKJV*).
• “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28)
• “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
• “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
• “Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8).
• “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:10).

In the Christmas story, the angels had the privilege of telling the shepherds about the Gift of God that was born that night. The shepherds had the privilege of telling the people what they had seen and heard. Today we have the awesome privilege of sharing what God has written in His Word and what He is doing in our lives.

Even if being a herald is not easy sometimes, the results are priceless—hearts changed, chains broken, hope restored, relationships mended. When a hearer takes to heart a message that is centered on God and empowered by Him, nothing is impossible because God can do anything. Heralds are most effective when they stay close to the Source of truth.

So stay close to God, dear heralds, and share well now and in the new year. “Good tidings of great joy” are too good to be kept a secret (Luke 2:10).

What special messages has God written are your heart? These are the messages that are always worth sharing.

*All Scripture verses are taken from the NKJV.

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, an editor of Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and a co-founder of Lighthouse Bible Studies. She loves connecting with writers and working alongside them in compilations, such as Heart Renovation: A Construction Guide to Godly Character, which was a 2019 Selah Awards finalist and Director’s Choice finalist. Katy’s writing can be found at CBN.com, thoughts-about-God.com, the Arise Daily blog, and two blogs on writing. She loves spending time with family and friends, making jewelry, and hunting for the best pumpkin spice lattes. Connect with her at her blog, The Scrapbooked Bible Study, and on Facebook and Twitter.