Sunday, December 12, 2010

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

I love the simplicity of a single candle in my windows; it reminds me of the Light who came to illuminate a dark world. Before Jesus was born, the voice of God had been silent for over 400 years. Not a prophet spoke. Silence reigned over the earth. Until it was time.

Suddenly angels appeared to Zachariah and then Mary. And Joseph heard in a dream that what Mary said was true. Those who waited for the Promised Messiah had hints of His coming. It was no longer silent and the events began to unfold to those who would believe.

Mary's encounter with the angel filled her with questions yet her final word to him was...”Behold, the servant of the Lord; be it done according to your word.”
Her questions didn't evaporate but His peace descended as she pondered his words,
God is with you;
Do not be afraid;
Nothing will be impossible with God.
As she grappled with the unknown, she journeyed to visit her cousin, Elizabeth. She needed some fresh perspective. She needed some space from the terrifying glares of the village families who didn't understand the truth and only saw a young girl pregnant out of wedlock, an offense punishable by stoning.

Elizabeth and Mary share the amazing events that had befallen both of them. They saw the hand of God accomplish the impossible—in one who was a virgin and in another who was past her child bearing age. Two miracles connected by the power and majesty of God. Two events that would forever change the world.

Mary must have been afraid. Afraid of the consequences. Afraid of what would come about. Afraid of what others would think. Afraid of what Joseph would say. Yet, she says to the angel, “I am God's servant, may it be as you have said.”
She believed God. She trusted Him. Still, it must have taken a lot to surrender herself to His purpose.

Is your world dark right now? What are you afraid of? What unknowns are you facing?

Just like the words of the angel to Mary, God is telling us not to be afraid. He will provide what we need when the time comes. He is asking us to believe and trust Him.

To a young girl who faces chemo treatments, He is saying, Do not be afraid.
To a young man with tumors throughout his body, Do not be afraid.
To a woman overwhelmed by her husband's betrayal, Do not be afraid.
To one with a heavy heart, Do not be afraid.

He is with you through whatever trouble you're facing. He will care for your needs and show you what to do each step of the journey. Trust Him. And, believe. Elizabeth's words to her cousin, Mary in Luke 1:45 are for us too.... “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord.”

Believing brings about change, in our hearts and in the world as God's power is released to accomplish His purposes in and through us. Power to make a kingdom difference for eternity. So, whatever you face today, don't be afraid. The Lord is with you. 

He is Emmanuel,

Jeanne


8 comments:

  1. Jeanne, Thank you for the reminder that we need never fear because God is with us -- Emmanuel. Blessings, Cass

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  2. You're welcome, Cass. Please remind me when I am facing things that are bigger than I am. I need constant reminders of His faithfulness.

    It makes me think of the word from God to Joshua, to build memorial stones to tell the next generations of how He provided for them.

    Have a wonderful Christmas,

    Jeanne

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  3. Comment posted with permission:

    Just wanted you to know that your words speak peace, thanks for the reminder. Love, Mary Lou

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  4. We don't often think of Bible characters as being real people in that we usually think of their situation differently than we do our own. We think, of course they trusted God or we feel as if they knew everything would turn out alright. We don't often think on how difficult that must have been for them as we do in our own situations. Thank you for this.

    Most Christians know God is with them, but I see sometimes that some are going through so much that they don't feel God will help them. He'll be there, but not help them out of the situation. I have a friend in that place. I'm not always sure what to tell her. She's had years and years of multiple troubles that have never been resolved. Her faith is shaken at times. Not that God isn't there, but that He won't help her. I think it's more like how the Jews didn't see Messiah who they thought would help them in a different way. They prayed for a different kind of answer.

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  5. "God is with you; Do not be afraid; Nothing will be impossible with God."

    "God is telling us not to be afraid. He will provide what we need when the time comes. He is asking us to believe and trust Him."

    So timely a message from God and via your blog.

    Thank you Jeanne for sharing His word.

    Tom

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  6. What hope and confidence we have in the One Who will never leave us alone. Thank you for the reminder.

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  7. JoJo,

    Thanks for your post--it is so true. We think of our Biblical brothers and sisters as being somehow superhuman without the same emotions we struggle with. But when we can get just a small glimpse of their humanity through their stories, we can somehow connect on a deeper level with them and with our God.

    Praying for your friend,

    Jeanne

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  8. You're welcome, Tom.

    Hugs (he's my cousin),

    Jeanne

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