“And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'” Luke 2:9-11
Devotional Thought For The Day
Fear is an odd thing, especially when it comes to things that are unknown but obviously quite powerful and potentially dangerous. There are all kinds of television programs that center on such thoughts – the unknown and potentially dangerous, the supernatural. God is like this – and all people have innate “fear” of God and of the supernatural. Scripture makes clear that all people have some sense of Who God is – His great power and might, and also some sense of right and wrong [See Rom. 1,2]. In that we are all sinful human beings we naturally have fear of consequences that God could impose upon us – punishments that we deserve. One could look at human beings and conclude that one of our most important life quests is doing something to resolve this fear and to find some sense of “cosmic” inner peace. It is a difficult and treacherous quest.
For many the quest becomes one of trying to eradicate any sense of “God” from one’s consciousness. If He doesn’t exist any fear of Him is irrational and imaginary. For others, the quest becomes one of self-delusion, rationalizing away our sin and convincing ourselves that we can “honor” God enough to earn His good pleasure and blessing. If we please Him with our behaviors there is nothing to fear from Him. For others, the creation of an alternative “god” is the chosen path – a simpler, more malleable god who supposedly provides blessing, protection, and security, and who doesn’t really care what we do. But behind all of these efforts is the devil – a liar and murderer from the beginning. He knows that there is life and salvation, renewal and decency, eternal life and the blessedness of peace with God – if only people know and believe His love for us. So He does all that He can to exacerbate human fear of God, and to then offer alternative ways of resolving that fear [lies and delusions]. It is all a frightful oppression of humanity.
The shepherds had this “fear” of the unknown, the supernatural. When the angels came to announce the most blessed and tangible expression of God’s love for humanity, they were terrified. So the angels – like all true representatives of God, the only True and Living God – urged them to not fear, but to embrace the announcement of “good news,” the Gospel, of God’s gift of a Savior, Christ Jesus, the Lord. This has been the message and the urging of all servants of God’s Word from the very beginning – God is love, God is our Savior, and this is for “all the people.” It is the message that still comes to us today – fear not, there is good news of great joy, a Savior is born Who is Christ the Lord, a Savior, a Benefactor, a Lord of mercy, grace, forgiveness, and love, the Prince of Peace Who reconciles God to man, Whose perfect love casts out all fear. [1 John 4:18]
It is one of the most tragic and astonishing realities that so many people – directly in the face of the reality of God’s gracious love, mercy, and forgiveness – still choose to be afraid of God, and to deal with that fear with lies and deceptions. It is all so useless, so worthless, and so self-destructive! And it destroys others who are influenced and caught up in the same ignorance of God – Who truly is love and has given us His Son, our Savior. Far damnably worse is when these delusions are perpetrated and inflamed within the “church,” in Christ’s Name. So let us be sure to hear the message of the angels, and may God grant us true preachers of His Word who continue to announce the same good news with the crystal clarity of God’s Word, Holy Scripture, that our fear of God be resolved and removed by our grasp and comprehension of the perfect love of God our Savior. And may we be clear in communicating this same hope and faith to those around us, that perhaps they be extricated from the devil’s torture and restored to the beauty of God’s kingdom. This is the blessedness of Christmas, of Christ’s coming.
Prayer For The Day
Dear Lord Jesus, forgive us for our reluctance and reticence in allowing Your perfect love to cast out our fear, for our doubts about Your forgiveness and Your free gift of cleansing and salvation. Make the message of the angels, and of all Your messengers, enter into our hearts and control our thoughts and being – that we be preserved from demonic oppression and be reshaped into Your image. Thanks be to You eternally for being our dear Savior! Amen.