Do Not Be Afraid

0:00Here's today's Intouch Devotion. Today's scripture reading is Matthew chapter 17, verses 1 through 8. Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light, and behold Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. While He was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud said, This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to him. When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified, and

1:04Jesus came to them and touched to them and said, Get up and do not be afraid. And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone. Have you ever noticed that the more time you spend with someone, the better you understand where that person is coming from? Our relationship with Jesus is similar. When we have a close connection with Him, we're not praying to some cold and distant deity out there somewhere. Instead, we're speaking with a God who is near, a God who loves us, sustains us, and molds us into His own image. That changes how we approach Him, doesn't it? In today's passage, Peter, James and John witnessed Jesus' transfiguration and were terrified. Their reaction was understandable as they were seeing divine glory with human eyes. But even in that overwhelming moment, Jesus didn't leave them lying on the ground where they had fallen.

2:05Instead, He came to the three disciples, touched them and said, Get up and do not be afraid. It's the kind of compassionate, personal God we serve, one who meets us in our awe and gently draws us back to our feet. It's wise to keep this picture in mind when spending time with the Lord. If you're struggling to connect with God, remember that He loves you, forgives you, and rejoices in your prayers.