8This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.9Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
This passage can give rise to confidence in God. If we have His Word in our hearts and are dedicated to being obedient to Him, we can experience His faithfulness. We can rely on His strength and courage, and know that He is with us - then we can experience His freedom from fear and anxiety.
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On Day 10 of our spiritual Advent-ure, as we continue to take a look at circumstances surrounding the arrival of our Lord, we find another angelic visitation. Gabriel had appeared to Mary, informing her that she would give birth to Christ, the Messiah. The thought of a pregnancy to someone who was not married would definitely be concerning, and the husband-to-be, Joseph, received a visit from a heavenly messenger, as we see in Matthew 1:
18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.19Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.21And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."22So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:23"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us."
Here we have a man who was described as "just," a man who was contemplating his next move concerning this woman, to whom he was betrothed, or committed to marry. The message from God came to give clear direction. Joseph was given insight into what he should do and Who this Child was - Jesus, the Savior, Immanuel.
Notice this, in Matthew 1:20, the angel said, "do not be afraid." In Luke 1:30, when the angel visited Mary, he said, "Do not be afraid."
Sometimes we encounter fear as we consider doing the will of God or speaking the truth of God. The Bible can give us reassurance in those times and produce in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the inner strength to speak or do what is right. He is the One who can truly make us fearless!
There's an NFL player for the New Orleans Saints who discovered what he described as God's power to deliver a message recently. That's according to a USA Today article that relates that on the Monday night that the grand jury's decision to not indict Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri was announced, Benjamin Watson was playing in a home game against the Ravens - he learned the news after the game from his wife, and went home and turned on the television. He is quoted as saying, "Like a lot of people, I had a very emotional feeling about it...When it has to do with race and the police, there are always very hard lines drawn. And usually, they are drawn along racial lines." The story says that the next day, Watson typed out his thoughts on his iPhone while his wife shopped.
A CNN piece relates that Watson told CNN's Brooke Baldwin the two sections that resonated the most with him are the ones about introspection and encouragement:
-- I'M INTROSPECTIVE, because sometimes I want to take "our" side without looking at the facts in situations like these. Sometimes I feel like it's us against them. Sometimes I'm just as prejudiced as people I point fingers at. And that's not right. How can I look at white skin and make assumptions but not want assumptions made about me? That's not right.
-- I'M ENCOURAGED, because ultimately the problem is not a SKIN problem, it is a SIN problem. SIN is the reason we rebel against authority. SIN is the reason we abuse our authority. SIN is the reason we are racist, prejudiced and lie to cover for our own. SIN is the reason we riot, loot and burn. BUT I'M ENCOURAGED because God has provided a solution for sin through ... his son Jesus and with it, a transformed heart and mind. One that's capable of looking past the outward and seeing what's truly important in every human being. The cure for the Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and Eric Garner tragedies is not education or exposure. It's the Gospel. So, finally, I'M ENCOURAGED because the Gospel gives mankind hope.You can read Watson's entire essay at his Facebook page. As of this morning, he has received over 859,000 likes and over 473,000 shares.
According to The Christian Post, there has been some speculation that a Watson appearance on CNN was cut off intentionally after he proclaimed, "The only way to really cure what's on the inside is understanding that Jesus Christ died for our sins." Baldwin interrupted Watson to tell him she "got it" before the NFL player's side of the split screen went blank and turned into a green screen.
The exchange left both media outlets and some on social media questioning if Watson was purposely cut off for speaking about Jesus.
"Did CNN really cut off Benjamin Watson for saying Jesus is Lord?" the Canada Free Press questioned in a headline, while RedState's headline read "What Happens When Benjamin Watson Preaches Jesus on CNN?"
While some on social media questioned the network, Watson did not seem to be alarmed by the matter when he took to Twitter to say he had a great time being interviewed by Baldwin.
"Great time speaking with @BrookeBCNN this afternoon," Watson tweeted. "Thanks for having me on. #humbled."
Western Journalism suggests that the sudden cut-off may have been the result of the interview being ended due to time constraints.
So, here is the bold response of a man who attempted to respond in a Biblical manner to a troubling situation. This story can encourage us to rely on the Lord, who will enable us to speak truth and act in a fearless manner. The Bible can produce in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the inner strength to speak or do what is right. We can take God's words to heart, spoken by angels to Mary and Joseph: "Do not be afraid."
Benjamin Watson also related the power of a message. Mary and Joseph received messages from God that were powerful, and his life-transforming truth permeated their lives. God's truth, His message, applied to the circumstances of life, can refine our perspective and reinforce our inner willingness to follow Him.
Finally, I think this CNN cut-off story may just be a distraction from the real power of Watson's message. But, we can remember that as we fearlessly speak truth into situations, there may be those who will truly not want to hear, who will essentially cut us off. But, we don't have to be intimidated into silence if God has placed a message or course of action on our hearts.
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