Friday, December 23 – Luke 2:9-10
And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people.”
The shepherds were surrounded by a miraculous event, full of God’s glory that was so grand and vast, yet they also received a very personal message, “Do not be afraid.” It may seem contradictory, seeing God’s glory and experiencing the natural response of fear while being told to not be afraid. How? How can one be unafraid in the presence of such a mighty God?
God is wonderful because even in His grandeur, He is personal to us. He had a message for the shepherds, and He comforted them in their fear before sharing the message. The greeting from the angel to not fear preceded the message He had for them. Today, we still hold this tension. We see how powerful God is, but God does not lead us to fear Him so that we cower in anxiety but so that the fear of Him can lead to trust Him and His plan. So many of us have submitted to worry and anxiety as normal parts of our lives. These are things we do not know how to live without, but God does not want to leave us in that place. As God guides and directs you, He gives more than instruction, He brings His peace. He sent Jesus to be our peace, and He is still at work bringing us peace through His Spirit today. What a reason to celebrate!
- What areas of life do you worry about the most?
- How does God bringing peace change your view of Him this Christmas?
- Pray and thank God for His Son and how He holds His majesty and peace together in harmony.
