PEACE IN THE PRESENCE OF FEAR
One of Satan’s most effective weapons against people is fear. It may be the fear of getting older, losing a loved one, being fired from a job, crippling debt, war, fear of failure, fear of God, etc. Satan’s goal from the beginning was to create cowardly, joyless souls. In Genesis 3:10, Adam answers the Lord after sinning, I heard You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.
Ann Landers, a long-time newspaper counselor, said that “fear” was the prevalent problem out of all the burdens she dealt with. Over 400 times in Scripture, God tells us to “fear not” or “do not fear.”
I would like to introduce you to 4 different people who found peace in the midst of fear that first Christmas. The first message was delivered to a priest named Zacharias, and it was the “fear not” of unanswered prayer. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John (Luke 1:13). Zacharias was calmed by the assurance the angel gave him, which resulted in him receiving peace.
The second message was delivered to a dedicated young woman named Mary, and it was the “fear not” of the humanly impossible. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God (Luke 1:30). Mary knew that she had found favor with God and that gave her peace.
The third message that first Christmas was the “fear not” of immediate obedience. Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20). Joseph’s fears vanished because he discovered that God was at work through Mary to bring the Savior into the world who would take away our sins and fears.
The final message of the angel was to the shepherds, and it was the “fear not” of salvation. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:10-11). The shepherds found peace in the midst of their fear when they heard the Good News reinforced by the multitude of heavenly hosts.
Viewing our situation from God’s perspective and applying appropriate Scripture dispels fear. We see how some of the main characters of that first Christmas found peace in the presence of fear as they placed their future in God’s hands.
How often do you fear? Does fear keep you from enjoying God’s relationship or the relationship of others? This Christmas season reminds us that our Savior came to conquer fear. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7, NLT). Your fear can be replaced with peace as you, like those characters that first Christmas, trust Christ for today and for your future.
