Favorite Time of the Year Devotional

DECEMBER 8 FEAR NOT, PART 1 By Britney Sewall Resident Professor, Word of Life Bible Institute

And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. (Luke 2:10)

As I was reading the Christmas story to my three-year-old, he noticed a picture of the stable animals surrounding Jesus in the manger. He worriedly asked, “Mom, are those cows going to eat baby Jesus?” I assured him that they weren’t, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he was missing the whole point of Christmas. Later, however, as he was playing with figurines from a nativity scene, he held up the angel and simply said, “Fear not!”

Fear not.

For many, Christmas is a season of celebration, love, and excitement. Yet for others, it is a season overshadowed by grief, loneliness, and anxiety.

Fear not.

The angel declared that Jesus’ entrance to earth was good news—the source of great joy that is available to you and me. The manger is significant, but so is the angel’s message. Whatever emotions this season may bring, fear not. Just as the glory of the Lord shone around the angel to extinguish the darkness that night, Jesus Himself is able to extinguish the darkness in our own lives. John 1:4-5 reminds us: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” This is the whole point of Christmas.

Fear not.

I hope one day my toddler will remember the significance and humility the manger represents. For now, I’m holding on to what he does remember: Fear not.

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