Do Not Be Afraid
Please find a quiet place to focus on these scriptures, asking for an open mind and heart to hear God’s wisdom for us today.
Isaiah 9:6 New International Version (NIV)
6 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.
Luke 1:30-35 New International Version (NIV)
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God.
These scriptures describe so much power! “Mighty God”, “Everlasting Father”, “Prince of Peace”, “Jesus” (God with us), “Son of the Most High”, “power of the Most High”, “the holy one”, and “Son of God”. During a time of great strife for the Israelites, Isaiah the prophet was communicating the deliverance of God’s people very clearly, using words that must have been music to their ears. Although, I imagine they wondered why he talked about a child during this description… How can a child lead a nation? When? Soon? And “Wonderful Counselor” is a title that describes empathy more than power. Isaiah was asking them to trust that God would take care of them. And, because we have the luxury of looking back into history, we see that they truly DID have to trust. God delivered this “child” and “son” in His good time, after hundreds of years of ups and downs.
Luke reports that Mary was given the same message from the angel describing the child she was to carry. In the midst of a very socially unacceptable situation for her, Mary was told “Do not be afraid”, and those powerful words from Isaiah were used to describe her baby! Mary voiced her doubt, and was reassured, again, that God is MOST powerful, and able to do anything. She was now asked to trust God. Mary was able to witness the Son of God living here on earth, with the knowledge of the promise from God’s angel. How she must have clung to those promises! As a mom, I can fall so easily into anxious thoughts about the health and welfare of my children, and need to be reminded over and over again that they have a Jesus, a “God with us” that loves them and protects them. Why do I worry when the scriptures tell me over and over again of God’s might and love? Good grief!! Will I ever learn?!
Father God, I thank you for the scriptures you commissioned as proof of your might and love. Make me mindful to daily read them as a reminder of your will for me. When I doubt, and when I fear, remind me of Your power, Your authority, Your counsel and Your peace! Amen.
kristi