“But the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.’” (Luke 2:10–12 NLT)

 

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, we need to recognize that the season inspires different feelings in different people—and that not all those feelings are pleasant. That was certainly true of the very first Christmas.

When the angel delivered his heavenly announcement to the shepherds, he started with the words, “Don’t be afraid!” But the shepherds, along with all of Israel, lived in frightening times. They were under the reign of King Herod, who was a murderous tyrant. Their land was under Roman occupation. There was a pervasive dread about the future. Would Rome ever leave? Would the people of Israel ever be free? Would the Messiah ever come?

And when the good news finally came, that the long-awaited Messiah had arrived, it was delivered by an angel: first one, and then a vast host of others. The angel’s greeting of “Don’t be afraid!” was easier said than done, even though it was followed by “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10 NLT).

Angels are awe-inspiring—and fear-inspiring—beings. Obviously, the shepherds had never seen anything like them. So, their first reaction was fear. But the angels wanted them to focus on their message and not their appearance.

Christmas is cause for joy, not fear. Joy not just for a single day, but for a lifetime, for those who trust in the One who came to save us. The apostle Paul wrote, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NLT).

Many people today find it difficult to have joy because we’re surrounded by such sadness. With all the conflict, tragedies, and problems in the world, how can we have good tidings of great joy? The answer is this: “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!” (Luke 2:11 NLT).

No matter what happens in life, remember this: You have a Savior. As a Christian, you have been saved from death. You have been saved from eternal punishment and Hell. You have the hope that when you die, you’ll go straight to Heaven. That’s the most important thing about the Christian life. There is a Heaven waiting for you.

The fear, sadness, and pain of this world are temporary. Three decades after His birth in the manger, Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NLT).

 

Reflection question: How can you find joy when you’re surrounded by sadness, anger, and disillusionment? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

 

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;But the angel reassured them. &lsquo;Don&rsquo;t be afraid!&rsquo; he said. &lsquo;I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior&mdash;yes, the Messiah, the Lord&mdash;has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.&rsquo;&rdquo; (Luke 2:10&ndash;12 NLT)
&nbsp;
As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, we need to recognize that the season inspires different feelings in different people&mdash;and that not all those feelings are pleasant. That was certainly true of the very first Christmas.
When the angel delivered his heavenly announcement to the shepherds, he started with the words, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be afraid!&rdquo; But the shepherds, along with all of Israel, lived in frightening times. They were under the reign of King Herod, who was a murderous tyrant. Their land was under Roman occupation. There was a pervasive dread about the future. Would Rome ever leave? Would the people of Israel ever be free? Would the Messiah ever come?
And when the good news finally came, that the long-awaited Messiah had arrived, it was delivered by an angel: first one, and then a vast host of others. The angel&rsquo;s greeting of &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t be afraid!&rdquo; was easier said than done, even though it was followed by &ldquo;I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people&rdquo; (Luke 2:10 NLT).
Angels are awe-inspiring&mdash;and fear-inspiring&mdash;beings. Obviously, the shepherds had never seen anything like them. So, their first reaction was fear. But the angels wanted them to focus on their message and not their appearance.
Christmas is cause for joy, not fear. Joy not just for a single day, but for a lifetime, for those who trust in the One who came to save us. The apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again&mdash;rejoice!&rdquo; (Philippians 4:4 NLT).
Many people today find it difficult to have joy because we&rsquo;re surrounded by such sadness. With all the conflict, tragedies, and problems in the world, how can we have good tidings of great joy? The answer is this: &ldquo;The Savior&mdash;yes, the Messiah, the Lord&mdash;has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!&rdquo; (Luke 2:11 NLT).
No matter what happens in life, remember this: You have a Savior. As a Christian, you have been saved from death. You have been saved from eternal punishment and Hell. You have the hope that when you die, you&rsquo;ll go straight to Heaven. That&rsquo;s the most important thing about the Christian life. There is a Heaven waiting for you.
The fear, sadness, and pain of this world are temporary. Three decades after His birth in the manger, Jesus said, &ldquo;I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world&rdquo; (John 16:33 NLT).
&nbsp;
Reflection question: How can you find joy when you&rsquo;re surrounded by sadness, anger, and disillusionment?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."
&nbsp;
All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Everyone who trusts in Christ can be joyful because Heaven awaits us.

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