December 1 Fears
“The hopes and fears of all the years”
Pray
Lift me, Lord, from the concerns and anxieties that paralyze me with fear. Help me to put all of my tomorrows into Your nail-scarred hands. Amen.
Read – Proverbs 14:2
“He whose walk is upright fears the Lord, but he whose ways are devious despises Him.”
Reflect
Were any of the shepherds afraid that night? Even if they had worked the night shift a thousand times, they still had to be vigilant. There were predators about. In earlier times, bears and mountain lions roamed those hills. By the first century few, if any, remained; but there were still plenty of wolves. And then there were those other predators, the ones with two legs.
Or perhaps the shepherds had wider concerns. Israel was not free. Roman armies still occupied the land. Living under oppression was as unpleasant in first century Palestine as at any other time. Were the shepherds worried about what would become of their nation, or even their faith? If so, then the coming of Christ should have been a sign of hope for them. Though Israel had wandered from the covenant, God was not finished with her. Hidden in the Scriptures, promises of redemption lay, waiting to be claimed. A child would be born. A son would be given. The Kingdom of David would be restored. Did the shepherds know the sure and certain hope, that our God is a God who keeps His promises?
Fear can only be overcome by faith. Despair can only be lifted by hope that is grounded in the promises and purposes of God. In Bethlehem, while shepherds watched their flocks, God’s promises and purposes took on flesh.
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