Fear Not!

Luke 1:^29-30 “She was thoroughly shaken, wondering what was behind a greeting like that. But the angel assured her, “Mary, you have nothing to fear. God has a surprise for you.” (MSG)

When we look at all the joy, the celebration, and all the blessings at Christmas, we sometimes forget the reality of even what the people at the first Christmas experienced. The fact is that there was fear during Christmas and over two thousand years after in our little corners we have the fear that we wrestle with. Yes, we are celebrating but the fears exist. I pray, in the Name of Jesus, that God will take away those fears. We are going to continue to look at the lives of the people at the very first Christmas and see how God took away their fears. The hopes and fears of all the years are met in Christ. Jesus came and took away the fears of all the years.

God is going to turn your fearful Christmas into a truly cheerful Christmas in the Mighty Name of Jesus. When we look at the lives of the key characters in the Christmas story, we see the presence of fear. Mary had her fears; Mary had the fear of inadequacy. She felt inadequate; How can I? Am I good enough? Am I up to the task? Am I man enough? This is a fear we all wrestle with. You pray for admission into the university and you get it. Then comes the fear of am I good enough to pass? You wrestle with it and pass. Then the fear of, am I man enough to get a job? You get a job. Am I going to get married? You get married. Am I going to have children? You have children. Are these children going to kill me? They do not kill you; they grow up and become great. Am I going to be lonely when they leave my house? And the list of fears is endless. Mary felt it.

Imagine, the angel said to her, ‘Mary, you are going to be pregnant and carry God.’ Think about it; she would have felt so inadequate. Even relaying the happenings to her mother, ‘Mom, I am pregnant.’ Her mother says, ‘Who is responsible? Tell me so that your father can bring out his cutlass.’ And Mary says, ‘It is God.’ Put yourself in Mary’s mother’s shoes, what would you say? I guess it will go something like, ‘If I count to five and you do not tell me who the man is, the Holy Spirit will have to deliver you today!’ This is the reality of our time. Luke 1:^29-34 “Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. …and will be called the Son of the Most High… his Kingdom will never end!” Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen?….”

You may feel inadequate, but God is saying to you, even now, “Do not be afraid my child, for the Lord has decided to favour you”. It could be something that you are used to, for instance, you are competent, and you know you are competent. But when the chips are down, you feel the pressure of inadequacy. Can I do this? Am I able to pull this through?

Prayer [Hymn]: O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie; above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by: yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.