Have you noticed, the ways of God can at times stir anxiety and other times produce in us wonder and awe? And yes, at times we can experience both in the same setting.
In Mark 10, Jesus is headed to Jerusalem knowing he is walking into a death trap. The scripture highlights for us the picture of the circles. Two groups were going with him, the disciples who were “closer” to Jesus and another group of followers. What catches us is that each group has a very different process going on inside of them. The disciples are experiencing astonishment, wonder and awe at Jesus. They have seen His heart often, know His determination, and are familiar with His power.
The second group has likely experienced some of the same… some. But what is going on inside of them is fear. Likely, they too, had witnessed some of the miracles. Likely, they had heard some of the teachings. But now, with the growing unrest around Jesus and about Jesus, their fear factor was rising.
Could it be that our response of fear or wonder and awe is more a result of our intimacy with Jesus? Could it be that as we more get to know His heart that reality can calm our fears and feed our faith?
Maybe when we are finding ourselves resisting the Lord’s move, resisting a place of obedience, what we really need to do is to move further IN toward Jesus? Maybe just when we feel like moving out, away from the call, from the challenge, from the difficulty, what we really should do is move the other way, to remember His heart, His love, that He sees us!
Fear and wonder co-mingle. The same setting can produce either (or both). The variant is not the setting but our intimacy with the Lord. What is stirring fear in your life? How could you experience more of the Lord’s heart, see His goodness, remember His passion for you? That one choice can catalyze a different response in the setting you are now in!