Matthew 1:18-25, Acts 1:12-26, Psalm 2, Genesis 3-4

Recall:

Matthew 1:23b "and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, 'God is with us.'"

Genesis 3:10-11 He (Adam) said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked and I hid myself. He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree which I commanded you not to eat?"

Genesis 4:9 He said, "I don not know; am I my brother's keeper?"

Reflect:

Emmanuel, God with us. I never get tired of hearing that.

I had a glimpse of a sense of something when I read Genesis 3 this time. There is the idea about fear--all of the sudden being afraid or ashamed which I have caught before--it is powerful especially for me--I am so often hindered and sometime paralyzed by fear. I heard the words of God in verse 11 this time. "Who told you that you were naked?" God knew they had eaten of the tree because they knew they were lacking, they knew they were naked and they got the idea in their head there was something wrong with that. The voice that says that I lack, that I'm naked, is not the voice of God--it's something else.

Respond:

I am so done hiding in the bushes. I don't want to be afraid. God, continue to reveal to me who I am.