[Dailydevo] Daily Devotion Tuesday December 20, 2005

[bludwig@zlc-aa.org]

Daily Devotion Friday December 20, 2005

The devotions this week are written by Pastor Ludwig. He explores the
message of the angels who announced to the shepherds that the world’s Savior
has just been born.

 

Luke 2:8-14

And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping  watch
over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and
the glory of the Lord  shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you  good
news of a great joy which will come to all the people;  for to you is born
this day in the city of David a Savior, who is  Christ the Lord.  And this
will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in  swaddling cloths
and lying in a manger."  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host  praising God and saying,  "Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"  

 

Don’t Be Afraid

Perhaps we picture angels as either chubby winged babies or golden haired
adolescents in flowing white robes, because we are afraid. In a world filled
with images of war, headlines about downsizing, and statistics about our
youth abusing OxyContin, we need the comfort of warm and fuzzy creatures
like angels to assure us that God is still near at hand.

That is not how the Bible describes angels. They are fearsome beings who not
only deliver God’s messages, they do battle against the powers of evil and
oppression.  The very name “Gabriel” means “warrior of God”!  No wonder, the
angel began by saying to the shepherds, “Don’t be afraid.”  

What is amazing is that God sent his “warriors” to announce the birth of the
“prince of peace.”  It would be something akin to sending the 82nd Airborne
to North Korea to announce the signing of a peace agreement!  Didn’t God
have someone else he could send who might be a bit more appropriate?  Didn’t
God have someone gentle and kind that he could send?

No. God chooses that which causes shock and awe to announce that His Son is
born and humanity need no longer live in fear of death and damnation. A new
way has begun and it is not a way of angels armies but of angelic singing
and following the way of a child named Jesus. Just picture it, heavenly
warriors singing an amazing song of peace. Truly a fulfillment of Isaiah’s
prophecy that one day God would guide us to beat our swords into plowshares.

 

Don’t be afraid. These are turbulent times, but come, let us follow Jesus,
God made flesh, who has come in gentleness and humility to redeem a broken
world.

 


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