Your Greatest Fear

Each player had to write down their greatest fear and place it in the middle of the board game.

Judges 19:1-30

Reference: v.27 When her master got up in the morning and opened the door of the house and stepped out to continue on his way, there lay his concubine, fallen in the doorway of the house, with her hands on the threshold. (TNIV Bible)

Explore: I remember when I was a young teenager, my friend received a game called Nightmare.  It incorporated the new idea of having a video (it was the early 90’s) give you instructions while we moved things around on the board in front of us.  I don’t remember a great deal about it, but it was supposed to be spooky and there was a deathly figure on the TV who stepped you through the game.  One thing I do recall, was that each player had to write down their greatest fear and place it in the middle of the board game.  These would be used near the end of the game where one fear would be revealed.  As a young girl growing up in a small country town in the early 90’s, my greatest fear was rape.  At that time, I did not know anyone who had been abused in such a way, and I had no idea of the lasting pain that such an occurrence would have, but I knew it would be devastating and it was my greatest fear.

Application:  With all the issues that are addressed in the Bible, it is no wonder that it tells a story of a rape (and this is not the only one).  As soon as I started reading Judges 19, I had a slight recollection of what was going to happen and my stomach started to churn in anticipation of the disgust that was to follow.  There are very few details given, but it doesn’t take much of an imagination to piece together the horror of this event.  While I don’t enjoy reading about such things, I am glad the Bible addresses issues like this.  The Bible is to relate to our every day life and, unfortunately, this does relate to some people’s lives.  There is nothing in our lives that God cannot relate to or sympathise with.  He sees all things, knows all things, and understands all things.  He cares about everything we go through and desires for us to rely on Him, no matter what may have happened in our lives.

Prayer:  Lord, in my life there is suffering and there is pain.  Thank you for understanding what I have gone through.  Help me to continue to rely on you when life brings its troubles. Amen.

What pain in your life would you like God to understand?

fear, Judges, pain, rape, suffering