Never Fear! Be Filled with Cheer!

            Have you had your Joy Juice today?  Never fear! Drink it with cheer!

            Ever gotten a phone call in the middle of the night, waking you from a deep sleep?  At first you want to panic….expecting bad news, but instead, you hear something like “our baby was born a few minutes ago and we couldn’t wait til morning to share the good news!”  You go from panic & fright to relief & joy in the matter of seconds.

            Imagine how the shepherds felt when they were visited by the angels in the middle of the night….proclaiming the birth of the Messiah, Jesus!  They were scared out of their sandals at first, but then, they experienced joy beyond description.  Luke 2:8-11 tells us what happened:

“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men.”

                   Abundant joy can be ours by trusting in God’s perfect plan!  What we might see as something to fear, may be His way of bringing us great joy in the days to come!