DON’T BE AFRAID OF MISSING GOD                        Psalm 139:5-6

“You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.” Psalm 139:5-6 (ESV)

Recently, and completely unexpectedly, I met a goddaughter.

I was in a waiting area when a young woman entered. You know that awkward moment when someone recognizes you, but you don’t recognize them? My mind raced as I looked for clues for how we knew one another. At a loss, I smiled. That was when she revealed one of my books held tightly in the curve of her arm. I hugged her and invited her to sit with me.

This beautiful young woman was in a season of new beginnings. Newly married, she’d moved away from friends and family. Her eyes sparkled with tears as she shared what the book had already meant to her. She opened the pages and showed me her highlighting.

As we spoke, it was so evident she loved God, loved the church and loved His Word. She desperately wanted to please God, and yet, she found herself frozen by confusion. She wasn’t sure if she was hearing God’s voice, her own, or — even worse — the voice of the enemy. She summed up all her questions and fears with one phrase: “I’m afraid I will miss God.”

Have you ever wrestled with that fear? I know I have!

On the surface, this fear of “missing God” sounds noble, but time has taught me that the enemy uses it to entrap people.

It changes the focus from His ability to lead, to our ability to follow. 

This makes our Christian walk fear-driven rather than love- and faith-based. Satan perverts our godly desire to follow God’s leading by questioning every move we make until confusion traps us in inaction. The enemy freezes us with the fear of making a wrong move. He knows we can’t follow if we’re immobilized.

Listen, Jesus is not trying to trick you. He would not tell us to follow if it was impossible. He will make His way known.

Lovely goddaughter: I actually believe that if your heart is pure, it is impossible to miss God. Why do I think this?

Meditate: He is just too big of a target.

Where can you aim and not come in contact with Him?
Where can you reach and not touch something that declares His existence?
_______________________________________

I am the good shepherd (Matthew 10:11a)