Trapped vs. Trust

"The fear of man brings a snare (trap), But whoever trusts in the Lord will be safe." Proverbs 29:25

Two things I want to point out:
1. I'm not sure we can honestly admit when we are "fearful" of something
2. We "trust" the Lord when the present circumstance or outcome is to our satisfaction

I write these words with deep conviction, ashamed to admit that my spiritual mindset has been the likeness of those words. Am I there at the moment? no, but have I mastered it either? no.  Am I at a stronger place than I was five years ago? very much so. 

Today I want you to see this verse in a way that you've never thought about before.  That the fear our enemy plants inside of us (whether great or small) is a TRAP and a trap is crippling.  The Lord doesn't want one single area of your spirit man to be crippled.  Let me remind you that YOU are created in the likeness of Him.  God has nothing but goodness for you.  The problem is that the enemy lies to your mind.  He manipulates our mind that if we aren't worrying about the circumstance.....we must not care.  Lies....Lies....Lies!

What are some fears that could trap us?
1. our children's present or future spiritual state
2. the choices of our children
3. our finances
4. our relationships
4. what people say about us
5. the people that don't like us
6. your marriage
7. the "what if's".....
8. the lack of a job
9. the misery of a job
10. your health
11. your imperfections
12. being put in challenging or uncomfortable situations
13. being alone
14. disappointing others

We've all seen or done a trust fall.  Not an easy task at all!  But the first step is admitting that your spirit man really isn't trusting God.....OUCH!  We just don't want to say that out loud.  That makes us feel like "less" of a Christian.  No my friend!  That is the first step in kicking your enemy in the face.  Trust is a word, like the trust fall.....easy to watch someone else do it but difficult to complete the task yourself. 

How do we train ourselves to really Trust the Lord?  It may sound simple....but isn't that how God works?  Salvation, though not simple for Him, made it simple for us. Just believe.  That's it? Believe?  But I'm looking at a situation....I'm feeling the pain....I'm hurting badly....and you expect me to trust?   Yes!  As you really draw closer to God, convinced of who He is and what He can and will do, you begin to have incredible peace.  I love the verses that follow in the next chapter

Proverbs 30:4,5
"Who has ascended into heaven or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and His sons name, if you know? Every word of God is pure, He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him."

If I was preaching right now, I would drop the mike.....LOL!  

How do you do it? draw close to Him. everyday read who He is, what He has done.  Write down daily what He has done for you and when you are hurting I want you to think of this example;

when Lauren was a baby she would pull her arms out of socket.  she would not be able to move her arms at all (hard to watch when she was an infant and couldn't speak but even more when she could speak and would cry out to me for help)  Each time we would have to take her to the doctor to get it put back in place (staying away from the emergency room because they could never get it right). This happened for six years. Was it painful? VERY. Did she cry her brains out? YES! Did she look to me for help? yes. Could I fix it? no.  Lauren had to just look into my eyes and trust the love I had for her and that even though painful, she would be ok!

Don't let the enemy trap you.  Read His word every day and become more convinced of who He is and His love for you.

Falling in His arms,
The Mrs. Pastor