Luke 1:30
“Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.’”
I am sure that each of us has experienced fear at some point in our life. One of the taunts that was used on the playgrounds when I was a boy was “fraidy cat!” — which often led to someone taking a dare that usually led to an injury. It was almost as if injury was preferred over fear.
There is a reverential fear of the Lord that is righteous and worthy of honor. It is an awareness that when we are close to the power of God we need to feel the awesomeness of the Almighty that dwarfs all human strength.
As a boy, one of the first verses I memorized was Isaiah 41:10. In the New King James it reads this way: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”
I choose to live a life of confidence and like it says in Psalm 23:4, that even though I am forced to walk through death’s fearsome valley, I choose to fear no evil for the Lord is always beside me. What a comfort that is!
Blessings dear hearts. May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil