Read:
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacobʼs descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
~Luke 1:29-33
Consider:
The angels served as God’s messengers throughout the Christmas story. They declared God’s favor to Mary. They announced the long-awaited answer of a prayer to Zechariah. They reassured Joseph about the truth of Mary’s pregnancy. And they announced the good news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds.
But within each message was one consistent message: “Do not be afraid!” Through the angels’ messages, God declared His heart toward mankind~“Do not be afraid, God loves you!”
God whispers this same message to us today. “Do not be afraid, I love you!” God sent Jesus~the human embodiment of his perfect love. His love never fails. His love is not dependent on you~on your actions or behavior. His love is perfect. 1 John 4:18 tells us:
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. (NLT)
God wants you to fully experience His love for you! This Christmas “do not be afraid,” even if the world around is in chaos.
If you are struggling in a relationship, “do not be afraid.”
If you are lonely, “do not be afraid.”
If money is tight and you’re not sure how you can pay your bills, “do not be afraid.”
If there seems to be too much to do and not enough time to do it, “do not be afraid.”
If your health or the health of a loved one is failing, “do not be afraid.”
If you have lost a loved one, “do not be afraid.”
In every circumstance, “do not be afraid.”
Let the angel’s message ring within your heart each day, “Do not be afraid!”
Breathe:
Breathe in His love…exhale all your struggles…
God sent us Jesus so we could fully experience His perfect love and free us from all fear.
Journal:
1. Is there an area in your life where you are experiencing fear, worry or simply stress?
2. How can fully experiencing God’s love replace that fear?
3. Take a few moments to invite God into this place of fear, worry or stress. Ask Him to reveal His love for you in this area of your life and bring you His perfect peace.
Pray:
Our Heavenly Father~Your message still rings clearly today~”Do not be afraid!” Because of Jesus we can fully experience Your perfect love which expels all fear from our lives. Help us replace any existing fear with You. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit. Remind us every day of Your great love for us! In Jesus’ name we pray…Amen