"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." (Luke 2:11-12 NIV)

Those were the first words spoken by the angels to the shepherds to announce the arrival of the Messiah. "Do not be afraid."

You are a tired and drowsy shepherd tending your flock of sheep in the quiet of the night when without warning an angel appears and says, "Do not be afraid ...." As you process those words, "Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appear with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'"

Fear would be the natural response; so the messenger from God said, "Don't be afraid."

  • Stunned.

  • Alarmed.

  • Disturbed.

  • Amazed.

The shepherds say, "Let's go see what God has done."

The Lord knew the shepherds would not be prepared for Him to reveal Himself, so He reassured them with the words "Do not be afraid." The same is true for us: He does not want us to be afraid when He reveals His involvement in our lives.

God did not want the shepherds to be afraid as He announced the arrival of the King. He does not want us to be afraid when He reveals His involvement in our lives.

When you sense He is calling you to "Come ... see this wonderful thing that has happened ..."(Luke 2:15) in your world, "Do not be afraid."

When you least expect it!
When you see His hand all over your future, and it is not the future you had planned, "Do not be afraid."

When your wife announces she is expecting a baby, "Do not be afraid."

When your boss announces your unplanned early retirement, "Do not be afraid."

When your husband explains his dissatisfaction with his career and wants to make a change, "Do not be afraid."

When the Lord announces He has a plan for your life, "Do not be afraid."

Maybe you are like the shepherds. You are busy with your fairly-ordinary-not-real-exciting-but-not-really-boring-life when the Lord announces, "I'm here!"

  • He powerfully and clearly answers a prayer.

  • You win a victory.

  • A relationship comes alive again.

  • You find answers to your questions.

  • Life brings you new challenges.

"Do not be afraid."

At a time when you least expect it, you may discover that the Lord is doing something. "Do not be afraid." Go see what it is that the Lord is doing. It may be the discovery of a lifetime ... or eternity.