FEAR or FAITH?
At the Christmas season we hear how the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds as they watched over their sheep........
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
"And the angel of the Lord said unto them, FEAR NOT, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men". (Luke 2:8-14)
Imagine how frightening it must have been for the shepherds, an actual angel suddenly appearing surrounded by the glory of the Lord. No wonder they were FEARFUL.
If you are like me it takes much less than the shepherds' experience to strike fear into our hearts. Something as mundane as driving on the interstate in a torrential downpour causes me to become a nervous wreck. What are your fears? They come in all shapes and sizes, little fears, big fears, fear of losing your job, fear of losing your house in these economically stressed times, fear of ill health, fear of the death of a loved one, so many fears. What to do about them?
In Mark 4:35-40 we read of a great storm and how Jesus calmed the wind and the waves and said to his disciples, "Why are ye so fearful? Have ye no FAITH?"
There's the answer to all our fears, big or small. Take those fears to Jesus and have FAITH that he will calm them and give us peace. His love surrounds us wherever we are, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves, all we have to do is believe and have FAITH.
Jean Dean
To leave a comment for the author, go to www.JMAdvent.blogspot.com
At the Christmas season we hear how the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds as they watched over their sheep........
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
"And the angel of the Lord said unto them, FEAR NOT, for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men". (Luke 2:8-14)
Imagine how frightening it must have been for the shepherds, an actual angel suddenly appearing surrounded by the glory of the Lord. No wonder they were FEARFUL.
If you are like me it takes much less than the shepherds' experience to strike fear into our hearts. Something as mundane as driving on the interstate in a torrential downpour causes me to become a nervous wreck. What are your fears? They come in all shapes and sizes, little fears, big fears, fear of losing your job, fear of losing your house in these economically stressed times, fear of ill health, fear of the death of a loved one, so many fears. What to do about them?
In Mark 4:35-40 we read of a great storm and how Jesus calmed the wind and the waves and said to his disciples, "Why are ye so fearful? Have ye no FAITH?"
There's the answer to all our fears, big or small. Take those fears to Jesus and have FAITH that he will calm them and give us peace. His love surrounds us wherever we are, in whatever circumstance we find ourselves, all we have to do is believe and have FAITH.
Jean Dean
To leave a comment for the author, go to www.JMAdvent.blogspot.com
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