Luke 12:4-7
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Take a moment to settle into your surroundings and then begin to recognize your breath. As you breathe in, call on the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
Recall that Jesus has just warned his disciples about the lure of popularity and the trap of hypocrisy. Then read Luke 12:4-7 slowly and thoughtfully.
Having addressed the problem with popularity, Jesus addresses the other side of the coin. Jesus knows that many of the same people who clamor to be near him and his disciples now will turn on them the moment they do not live up to popular expectations. The admiration of others is fleeting and fickle. The only approval worth seeking is the approval of God.
Because we are broken humans, the presence of a perfectly holy God is terrifying because holiness cannot tolerate unholiness. The “fear” of God is not only appropriate; it’s inevitable for faulty people. Throughout the Older Testament we see the abject terror of people who are allowed a glimpse of God (e.g. Judges 13:22, Isaiah 6:5).
Take a moment to meditate on these words from the opening lines of the book of Proverbs:
“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” – Proverbs 1:7
Share your thoughts and feelings about this with Jesus openly and honestly.
Read Luke 12:4-7 again focusing on the way Jesus speaks about God’s care for people.
If God had stayed distant, we would still be terrified when we realized we were in God’s presence. But God came near in Jesus.
God knows you better than you know yourself, because God knows everything about you as you are today - and God also knows who you were created to be. You bear in your soul the image, or “thumbprint,” of God and God loves and values you. People can love you or hate you, and people can even cause you all kinds of harm. But if you continually look to God for your identity and security, nothing people do can ever destroy you.
For the final moments of this time of meditation, soak in these words from 1 John 4:16-18:
“God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”
What are you hearing from Jesus today?
What will you do about that?
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The Everyday Jesus Follower’s Guide ebook can help you learn how to recognize God's voice, how to read and understand the Bible, how to develop deep spiritual friendships, and how to become the person you were meant to be. Use it alone, with a friend or in a small group.
