Fear
In the dark of the night
under stars shining
bright,
quiet except for a bleat
from a sheep that couldn't
sleep,
shepherds faithfully kept
watch
for sheep tend to get lost
then wild animals prey
on lone sheep gone astray.
Suddenly without warning
one night long before
morning
the glory of the Lord
shone around,
brighter than the noonday
sun shining down,
causing these humble
shepherds to be overcome with fear personified -
afraid, frightened,
panicked, petrified, terrified for their very lives.
Heart stopping, shaking in
their sandals,
consuming fear gripped
their innards.
Not only did the glory of
the Lord shine around,
an angel of the Lord of
heaven and earth came down,
who immediately spoke
timeless words of comfort and cheer
to allay any hint of
overwhelming worry or fear.
Words that even today
calms our fears:
“Do not be afraid” or
“Do not fear.”
Words that God's Word
repeats over and over for fear
grips our fickle hearts
depleting it of joy or cheer.
The angel declared words
of hope to the shepherds that night.
Words of good news that
brought great joy dispelling their fright.
These words of hope
triumphed over any fear;
in fact, turned their fear
into holy, reverent/awed fear
for these shepherds
quickly hurried to Bethlehem
where they found exactly
what the angel had told them.
The promised Messiah,
Christ the Lord, God's Son,
the long-awaited Savior,
had finally come!
That moment of quaking
fear one starry night in the field
had now turned into holy,
reverent/awed fear, though not stilled,
for these shepherds told
everyone, giving testimony,
repeated down through the
ages – the first Christmas story.
A holy, reverent/awed fear
where they could not
not stop glorifying and
praising God.
Those who heard their
report were amazed!
Hope soared again.
Prayers of thankfulness raised.
Just think, Christ was
born at the time of the census
when the city was full of
King David's descendants.
This wonderful, glorious
news must have traveled quickly
from house to house, inn
to inn, great joy added to the revelry
of seeing long-lost loved
ones, friends and family, who had come
not knowing that God's
promise to Isaiah would finally come
one miraculous night in an
unpretentious stable, lives now guaranteed a new lease -
our Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Those returning home
continued to spread the good news
until this present-day
civilized world also knew
that Jesus had come, He
came to save
and through His love for
us His life He gave.
This good news still
reaches out to hurting human hearts today
as in the name of Jesus,
God's peace is only a prayer away.
Yes, our Wonderful
Counselor, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father, our Prince of
Peace
can turn our quaking fears
into a holy, reverent fear that brings great joy and abiding peace.
When fear comes
go to the One
who is waiting to hear
from you.
Abide in Him each day
anew.
The promised Immanuel, God
with us,
will relieve our fears
when we learn to trust.
Turn whatever it is that
brings fear into holy, reverent fear
by glorifying and praising
God each and every day of the year.
* * * * *
Fear, in the form of
worry,
dispels any peace or
calmness.
This fear doesn't bring
God glory.
In fact, worry is doubting
God's goodness.
Worry says: God isn't big
enough,
as we worry out loud “I've
had enough!”
giving credence to
whatever troubles us
which ends up eroding our
faith, hope, and trust.
There is a God-honoring
fear.
It's holy, reverent fear.
It's being in awe of God
Almighty.
Showing Him respect
continually.
To esteem the Lord God is
to love Him,
by obeying His
commandments found within
God's Holy Word, the
Bible.
Holy fear will enable.
Unholy fear disables
doubting it's possible.
Holy fear has hope in God
who sustains us when times
are hard.
Christmas reminds us
that God is with us
as our personal, loving
Immanuel
giving us hope through
what seems impossible.
How deplorable, this holy,
reverent fear so absent from today's society,
where OMG degrades the one
true God's holiness every second continually,
where God and His Word,
His good-for-us principles, are absent from the majority,
and noticeably absent from
so-called "Christmas" celebrations and festivities.
Tell someone today about how the shepherds quaking fear
was forever changed into
holy, reverent godly fear.
Perhaps they too will
exchange daily worry
into a testimony for God's
glory.
An angel of the Lord
appeared to them,
and the glory of the
Lord shone around them,
and they were terrified.
But the angel said to
them, "Do not be afraid.
I bring you good news of
great joy
that will be for all the
people."
Luke 2:9-10
Do not fear, for I am
with you;
do not be dismayed, for
I am your God.
I will strengthen you
and help you;
I will uphold you with
my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
So they hurried off and
found Mary and Joseph,
and the baby who was
lying in the manger.
When they had seen him,
they spread the word
concerning what had been told them about his child,
and all who heard it
were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
Luke 2:16-18
The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God
for all the things they
had heard and seen,
which were just as they
had been told.
Luke 2:20
For to us a child is
born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will
be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
With man this is
impossible,
but with God all things
are possible.
Matthew 19:26
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