Unconditional Joy
By Greg Laurie
“Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.’”
—Luke 2:9–10
In the pages of Scripture, it’s one of the most common opening statements for angels: “Don’t be afraid.” That’s because when people saw angels, they were terrified.
When an angel appeared to the shepherds outside Bethlehem, he said, “Don’t be afraid! . . . I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10 NLT).
In other words, “This is good news that you need to know so you can have great joy. Even if you don’t feel like it, rejoice, because your world just changed.”
