This post is Day 8 in a series of studies about “Angels”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Angels – Day 8

God does not want us to live in fear! Yet so many Christians are afraid of so many things. Illness, loneliness, financial difficulties, and in many parts of the world believers have reason to be fearful for their lives. But God constantly repeats His assurance. We have nothing to fear.

Luke 1:13

The angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.”

The Thought

We return to the New Testament today for one of the nice things that angels are called to do. According to the version of the Bible that I read most often, this literal expression “do not be afraid” is repeated 70 times. God does not want us to live in fear! There are many other ways He says something similar, and yet so many Christians today are afraid of so many things. Illness, loneliness, financial difficulties, and in many parts of the world believers have reason to be fearful for their lives. But God constantly repeats His assurance that we have nothing to fear, not even death.

In the verse for today Zechariah is naturally disturbed by the appearance of an angel. He had done this job in the temple for many years, and had never seen an angel before. This angel is a bringer of good news for this old priest and his wife Elizabeth who had prayed for many years that God would heal her barrenness. The name John means “gift from God” and there is no doubt that’s what he was. Sometimes God waits until things are not naturally possible just to show us that He is above the natural realm of events.

In this case it was God’s timing that was important, the births of both John and Jesus were timed for their future ministries.

Action

Give thanks today for God’s timing of events in the lives of those around you. Pray for open eyes to understand more of the spiritual aspect of things that seem “normal”.

Pray for any you know who are hoping to be pregnant soon.

Praise God for His word that is so full of encouragement for all of us.