Afraid of God

9.26.2010

Luke 9:45 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. ESV

It is said that David Brainerd, an associate of the great theologian Jonathan Edwards, would spend days out in the woods praying for the natives. Brainerd would rather be with God in prayer than he would be with Christian friends in church; such was the passion he had for the souls of the native Americans in early America. Today, I was away from church building a trail and riding my mountain bike with un-saved friends. Big difference – one might think.

Why do you suppose the associates of Jesus were afraid to ask Him what He was talking about when He said He was about to be delivered into to the hands of men? What makes us afraid of God? Does anything? I think what made the disciples afraid was their lack of understanding about Him and the confusion He brought up in their minds by what He said and did. How could Jesus, ‘the Christ of God’ be in such trouble with men? And why be afraid to ask Him about it?

It is one thing to be afraid of what God might do – wonderfully He only ever loves – and it’s another to be afraid of what He says: take up your cross and follow Me! Following Jesus may take us out of our comfort zone (you can bank on that) and may take us into relationship with people of whom we’re afraid - maybe. Following Jesus will cost us everything we have and if our love for our stuff is greater than our love for Him then we get afraid of what we might lose.

Sometimes God scares me by what I think He thinks of me and what I think He expects of me. My fear is largely based on what I think I can do. The disciples’ fear may have been based in the same perspective: What does Jesus expect me to do with this information? For them then and for me now the answer is the same: trust Him – no matter the situation or circumstances – trust Him.

Father in Heaven,

You scare me sometimes because I think You want me to do whatever in my own strength with my own limited resources; nothing could be farther than the truth. What You guide me to do You will provide for me to do and in all of it the only requirement on my part is to trust You – that I strive to do in Jesus’ Name, amen.