Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” - Genesis 3:8-10

Have you ever wondered what the opposite of faith is? Right off hand most of us would conclude that it is doubt. But when we take a Biblical perspective, the opposite of faith is fear.

Fear is a direct result of the knowledge of sin in our lives. When we have sin in our hearts, our perception of God changes from that of loving Father and companion to one of a righteous and unforgiving judge.

Adam and Eve once enjoyed unbroken fellowship with God. Once they sinned, God didn’t pull away from them, they pulled away from God. That’s what sin does: makes us hide from God in fear.

This is why the reality of Christmas is so important. Jesus came not so we would feel warm and fuzzy every December, but so God could restore His relationship with us and remove the fear that separates us.

What are you afraid of? Are you hiding a habit, temptation, or an attitude from God? The root of that fear is sin. Give it to God.

Today’s Prayer
Lord, I do not want to be afraid of your presence. I recognize my desire to hide from you who I am and what I do. Thank you that Christmas means my relationship with you no longer needs to be based on fear. Amen.