Do not be afraid!

NIV Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

Have you ever imagined when you see God in person, what are you going to say? Will you ask Him to fulfill all your dreams? Or you will simply be shocked and speechless? Indeed, we contradict ourselves by hoping that God will answer our prayers while deep down in our heart, we are afraid to face Him. Our fear comes from the sins inside our innermost minds. However, God has sent Jesus to save us from sins and so if we repent to Him, we do not need to be afraid of facing Him. The encouraging message "Do not be afraid" appeared in the Bible for more than 49 times and God kept on reminding us to fear the Lord and no others. 

More than 2000 years ago, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Angel came to the shepherds living out in the fields nearby and the glory of the Lord shone around them and the shepherds were terrified. NIV Luke 2:10 "But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." In general, we tend to afraid of changes and unseen situations. Just like the shepherds, they have never seen Angels before. But God promised to us that He will bring us the good news that will cause great joy for all the people, which in other words may mean He will bring something good that we have never seen or heard before to us. In shepherds' case, He brought Jesus Christ to the world. Everyone is saved by the sacrifice of Jesus at the cross.

Lord, thank you for encouraging us not to be afraid of things other than you. How great you are to send your son to save us from sins! Help us to be strong in faith and live without fear. Amen!