Merry Christmas!
May the joy of Christ's birth fill your heart with love and peace this Christmas.
Wishing you a blessed and Merry Christmas!
Be strong and courageous and do not be afraid.
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV)
This verse was spoken at a specific time in history but rings just as true for you and me today. I love the NLT translations which says… Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid and do not panic before them (them being their enemies) because the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you; he will not fail you or abandon you.
How many times have we stopped dead in our tracks and not gone for something because we were afraid, or scared or panicked? Or maybe we felt that fear and misinterpreted it as the Holy Spirit telling us not to go for it because we felt fear.
This verse has been foundational in my life in helping me to press into my fears.
First of all, “Be strong and Courageous” that is a command.
Secondly, “ Do not be afraid or terrified” that is an acknowledgement from God that we are going to feel fear and panic along the way.
And lastly, and this is what I love. This is what anchors me… God will be right there with us. God will never abandon us. So, do not be afraid.
As I have read and reread the Christmas story, I believe ‘Do not be afraid’ is at the very heart of it. In the brief passages in the Bible about the birth of Jesus we find gritty accounts where something amazing is happening within the context of profound hardship and challenge. All the key characters face fear and receive the message: ‘Do not to be afraid’. The angel says it to Mary, and to Joseph and to the angles out in the field.
Did you know that the phrase “Do not be afraid” is written hundreds of times in the bible. Some have said that ‘Do not be afraid’ is written 365 times, one for every day of the year. I am not sure on that, perhaps that would be a good project for someone over the Christmas break. Let me know what you find!
Regardless, God knows we need reminding.
As we step into our fear, many ask the question ‘what is the worst thing that could happen if I do X?” I like to rephrase that and ask, “What is the best thing that could happen if I step into this fear, if I step into this thing God has put on my heart?”
Fear is not something we are cured of, we are going to feel it throughout our lives. It is up to us to step into it. To be strong and courageous, to not be afraid and terrified, and to know that God will never, ever abandon us. That is why Jesus came… Emmanuel. God with us. So, do not be afraid.
Run and not grow weary?
I was out taking Luna (our sweet Cockapoo) for a walk and she was just a bundle of energy. She was pulling on her leash because I was clearly not walking fast enough. So I decided in the moment to go for a little run. Not a holy moment… I got half way around the block and I thought I was going to die. Even Luna got tired.
Isaiah 40:31. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
It has not been my personal experience to run and not nearly die much less, not grow weary. What this verse is saying doesn’t seem natural at all but that is exactly what this verse is saying. In fact, this verse provides a roadmap to do the natural in a supernatural way.
The verse begins, “but hose who hope in the Lord”, another translation says: those who wait on the Lord, or those who look for the Lord, will renew their strength.
There is a strength we have access to when our hearts are set on the Lord and that strength enables us to do natural things like running, in a supernatural way. It is impossible to run and not grow weary in a natural way; it is impossible to walk and not be faint.
The Lord is inviting us to find a strength that is found in seeking God’s presence. Strength is found in — hoping for; hoping on; waiting on —seeking God’s face.
And personally, there is strength that I have found in my life from fixing my gaze on God that (in hindsight) enables me to go through difficult circumstances in a supernatural way.
We are in a season of Advent. It is a time of hopeful anticipation, spiritual reflection and renewed strength. Today, the Lord is inviting us to do the natural supernaturally and the supernatural, naturally! And the answer is found in God’s presence — waiting on the Lord, hoping in the Lord, and seeking God’s face.