“Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”
Luke 1:45 NKJV
Upon seeing the angel Gabriel in the temple, Zachariah was gripped by fear. But Gabriel told him, “Don’t fear, Zachariah. Your prayer has been heard. Elizabeth, your wife, will bear a son by you” (Luke 1:13 MSG). Later, Zachariah couldn’t help but sing praises to the Lord when his son John was born.
When Mary saw Gabriel, she was troubled. Gabriel told her not to be afraid. God favored her, and she would give birth to God’s Son (see Luke 1:30–33). Later Mary burst into song, praising God, already giving Him credit for what He was going to do: “For He who is mighty has done great things for me” (v. 49 NKJV).
When Jesus was born, an angel visited shepherds to announce the event, telling them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10 NKJV). Then an entire heavenly host appeared, singing and praising God.
The point? Don’t fear. God has heard your prayer. Don’t be troubled. God is looking upon you with favor and has great things in store for you. Don’t be afraid. Jesus is the source of your greatest joy.
Your job? Pray with expectation, believe the best, and spread the Good News.
Thank You, Jesus, for replacing my fear with Your joy! My heart sings with love for You!
Recommended Resource:
If you liked today’s reading, we recommend the newest edition of Daily Wisdom for Women Devotional Collection. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Related Readings:
CLICK HERE to discover more readings about fear.
Today’s reading was adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2018 Devotional Collection with permission from Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading was written by Donna K. Maltese.