An Announcement

Luke 2:10 (NIV)

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.”

CONSIDER THIS

Do not be afraid.

Every time an angel appears, they quickly make this declaration. 
“Do not be afraid.” 

And every time, I’m astounded by the suggestion. No offense to the Word or divine annunciation, but it feels a little like someone telling me to relax when I’m deep in the throws of anxiety. Great advice, but it feels a little impossible in the moment when it feels like the world has turned upside down, or things are slipping through my fingers. I assume, that night, that the in-breaking of heaven on earth was so alarming that the text documents the complete and utter terror from those who witnessed it. Whether their reaction was simply the terrifying reality of beholding angelic presence, or the incoming light seemed like a threat breaking in on their quiet night, or if the site of God’s glory was so overwhelming that the only human response was trembling with awe, regardless of the reason their first response was fear. 

Our first response tends to be fear . . . almost always. 

I’m sure that’s the natural response of humanity that has been deeply broken by the darkness of sin. But it’s incredible to me how the shadows of doubt, fear, insecurity, and mistrust take the lead and act as our instinct in most situations, even in the relationship with our good and faithful God. 
God nudges us with something new, and we react with resistance. 
God invites us into an opportunity, and we second guess if we should take it. 
God asks us to hold on for an answer to prayer, and we doubt he’s working at all. 

Our default is fear. 

But just as the angels attempt to abolish fear with their declaration of good news and glory, every time we respond with fear, God reaches in anyway to remind us of his presence. 

My incredible daddy taught me something . . . well . . . really . . . he had to remind me at every turn. He would declare it over me. “Sarah, fear and doubt don’t come from God.” The darkness of doubt would have us believe that God is distant, unresponsive, and not there when we need him. Fear would tell us that we can’t trust God and we need to manage things ourselves. The shadows of doubt and fear cast darkness over God’s love for us. But, if fear and doubt don’t come from God (meaning, he didn’t design it and doesn’t use it to equip our relationship with him), then it must simply be a tool of the enemy; something he uses to keep us from a deeper sense of intimacy and trust with God. Our tendency to fear becomes means for the enemy to keep us from leaning in to discover all the goodness of God! 
Did you hear me? The enemy uses fear and doubt to keep us from knowing more of God’s goodness and love.

The most remarkable places of discovery in Christ are the moments when fear rises up, but we push down its power with the reminder of God’s enduring faithfulness, his entrance into the world, his love that continually intervenes, and the truth that he cannot disappoint or fail us. Our instinct for fear becomes opportunity to lean in anyway and discover and believe the angel’s message of good news over fear. (And not just in this angelic appearance, but all of them.) When they declare “good news of great joy,” they’re not sharing a platitude, like a pat on the back telling us to relax in an overwhelming moment. They are making a declaration we can’t make for ourselves. The angles, shining in the radiance of God’s glory, are destroying our darkness of doubt with their in-breaking light of truth. That God is good and is overcoming every darkness and doubt.

The darkness of doubt tends to misrepresent God, almost always lying about its power. The light of God’s truth has the power to eradicate that darkness because it stands on the truth of God’s nature and will, which is unchanging, never-ending, and totally redeeming. God’s nature inundates us with love. It may be the one time that I think Scripture underestimates its declaration. “Do not fear! I bring you good news of great joy.” This isn’t good news. It’s everything. It’s literally the everything we mentioned according to John, chapter 1, the light had come into the world, and this life would be the light for all humankind. The angels brought these terrified shepherds the message of life. And that message of life is life for us too. Over any darkness and doubt.

I don’t know how to explain it. And I understand hearing this may be a lot . . .

In the moments just before learning our daughter had died, I had a sense she was gone. I was in denial, hoping it was simply my anxiety, not reality, when I laid down for a moment and quietly asked the Lord to heal her. In the darkness of that moment, the Lord was silent. He didn’t answer me. In fact, his silence was an answer—that she was gone. But in the most miraculous way, he broke into that darkness with presence. Even as I asked him to heal her, and heard his silent response, I could feel Jesus closer than breath. I could feel a tenderness and consuming love that brought tangible peace even in the most profound grief I had ever known. He was so very near, that even though I was devastated, I had Christ’s presence to cling to as good news. Light entered in that put the darkness in its place. Though the pain of it would be crippling in every way, God entered in with his truth to declare that his presence was ever near, that we weren’t alone in our pain, that he would make a way forward through it, and even death couldn’t derail his work of life and redemption. The truth of God’s life, his good news, cannot be outdone. But our tendency toward doubt and fear can sometimes try to overshadow it. Looking to fear in our greatest pain can cloud our eyes to the light of God’s presence. When in reality, though the darkness lingers in uncertainty, grief, and heartbreak, the Lord can enter in with the tender and profound presence of his light to endure and overcome any darkness.

The in-breaking of God’s glory on this spectacular night with the shepherds pushed out any assumption of fear, any uncertainty in doubt, and turned all focus to the truth of what God has always declared, that is, his promise to restore, redeem, and return all things to his care. This is so much more than good news. It is the truth that triumph’s over all fear.

Fear may be the default, but it doesn’t have to be the driver.
 That’s what the good news is for.  

THE PRAYER

Almighty God, author of life, the one who revealed light in the darkness, a light so bright it can abolish all darkness. We praise you that our uncertainty doesn’t scare you and that our doubt doesn’t deter your work in the world. And this morning, we join with the rejoicing of angels. We choose to rejoice when we’re afraid. We rejoice when we’re terrified of what may be. We rejoice when we don’t know what’s ahead—because the truth of who you are and what you’ve done is worth staking everything on. Forgive us for letting the doubt create distance between us. And, as we put darkness in its place against the light of your good news, may we lean in to discover the depths of life in you and all the goodness that it brings. In Jesus’s name, amen. 

THE QUESTION

Where in your life have doubt and fear had more control than it needed? It may be your default reaction, but does it have to be your on-going chosen response? Are there places where fear and doubt have created distance between you and God’s great love? Where is the truth of good news breaking in to declare its life—the everything of God’s light—over any fear or doubt you may have?

For the Awakening,
Sarah Wanck

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