Advent = No Fear

       I know my title today is a bit weird.  I was rereading the story of the angel appearing to the shepherds in Luke 2:8-12 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'”   The angel’s request of the shepherds was to not be afraid and to be open to the good news of God’s arrival on earth.  The Christmas story is filled with commands to key players to not be afraid.    In Matthew 1:20  Joseph was commanded by an angel of the Lord to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife.  In Luke 1:13 Zachariah was  told by an angel of the Lord not to be afraid that his elderly wife would bear him a son who would be the fore-runner of the Messiah.  In Luke 1:30 the archangel Gabriel came to Mary and told her she was favored by God and would bear the Messiah.  In each case, God was revealing the arrival of His plan to save us from our sins.  This plan was good news then and is good news now.  Jesus came as our savior and we do not need to fear life, death, abandonment or dire and troubling circumstances.  Jesus is the answer. 

       Will you join Joseph, Zachariah, Mary and the Shepherds today and step into a life with Jesus and experience No Fear?  The command ‘Do not fear’  is for us too.   God wants us to know this Christmas that Jesus is the answer and He will lead us through all circumstances, people and places to a life of security, hope and peace in Him!  Timothy put it this way in 1Timothy 4:9-10 “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.”   Be a believer today and serve the living God.  It is a life of  ‘No Fear’ through Jesus.

Learning to live fearlessly,

Linda