Advent Devotional: Day 3
“But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid Zechariah, your prayer has been heard.’”
Numerous times in the Bible an angel speaks, “Do not be afraid.” So much is happening in this crazy world; how can we not fear? There is only one answer … God. He alone is sovereign over all creation AND HE LOVES US! If we believe this, then surely we can trust Him and not fear anything in this world. Trust, not fear!
Many times, I have let fear and worry enter my thoughts, only to later realize it was not needed. We need to pray first, not later. God’s Word tells us to pray without ceasing.
God heard Zechariah’s prayer. He and his wife Elizabeth were righteous in the sight of God. He prayed for a child. They were old and thought it was no longer possible. But God heard and did the unexpected. In their old age they had a baby! And their baby’s life would glorify God and prepare the way for the Savior of the World. The answer to their prayer was even bigger than they imagined. That’s God!
God is so much bigger than we can imagine, and His ways are better than our ways. God who spoke everything into existence by His words and He who parted the Red Sea, can do immeasurably more than we could possibly imagine. God can also move “mountains.” Expect it. You just need to tell your “mountains” about the awesome God you love and serve! Fear not, for He has overcome all things!
We can also be bold. When God is on the throne of our hearts, we can approach Him with confidence (boldly) receiving His mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. So then, fear is not an option.
We can expect God’s will to be done. We know that He hears our prayer and loves us. Our anticipation of Him in answer to our prayer is a reflection of our faith. This Christmas as we anticipate the celebration of the birth of Jesus, may we “fear-less” and be “faith-full.”
“Lord God, we praise You! Help us to position our hearts to love and serve You. May we not fear but pray boldly seeking to glorify You in all we say and do in sharing the Good News of Jesus our Savior. In His name we pray! Amen.”
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