I was reading in Matthew 10 this week when I was struck anew by the second half of the chapter. Starting in verse 16, Jesus is preparing his disciples for the unpleasant reception they will receive when they go out in His name. They were going to be hated, flogged, persecuted, handed over to the government, betrayed by family--some seriously scary stuff.
He prepared them, armed with knowledge. Then He comforted them with truth. The hairs on their head were numbered. His eye is on the sparrow, so you know He is watching you and great is your reward when you are persecuted for the sake of our Lord. They would truly find their lives when they were willing to lose them. And He was backing them up...with all the power and authority that came with that.
I can just imagine the disciples' eyes getting wider and wider as Jesus laid all the scary reality out for them. Sort of like A's eyes got wider and wider as I talked about fire escape plans. I imagine a few of them lost some sleep to fear of the possibilities, just like she has. I imagine they all had to repeat the truth to themselves more than a few times.
Thanks, God, for sharing this with me. Just a little reassurance that it's okay to prepare my kids for reality, scary as it may be. And thanks for reminding me that you give us truth as the best weapon against fear.
No comments:
Post a Comment