Honest Reflections

“All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose.” (Proverbs 7:22 NIV)

People fall into traps of their own making all of the time. The choices they make, the actions they do are destructive to their very lives, yet they have no idea.  They willingly follow to their slaughter, completely unaware of what is about to happen. Parents watch their children make poor decisions. Spouses suffer the consequences of their partners.  Friends watch friends snare themselves in traps. As hard as you try to tell them, they won’t listen. They are bound and determined to do what they want to do. And in the end, it leads to death.  Death of a dream, death of a marriage, death of a friendship. And sometimes, we’re the ox. Sometimes, we’re the ones who are following a destructive path, stepping into a noose, falling into a trap.  The only way to avoid a trap is to keep the Son in your eyes.

The only way to avoid a trap is to keep the Son in your eyes.

I don’t know any other way to avoid traps than with Jesus.  But what does it mean to keep the Son in your eyes practically?  First, don’t follow people blindly, seek the counsel of wise people.  Solomon tells us if we seek the advice of wise people and accept discipline, we’ll be among the wise (Proverbs 19:20 NIV).  Not only do we have to seek wise counsel, we also have to accept the discipline that comes with it.  Discipline such as not putting ourselves in tempting situations, not following known troublemakers, listening to what our wise counselors tell us.  And we have to trust God.

Not only do we have to trust God to keep us out of traps, we have to trust Him to keep the ones we love out of their traps.  We can do that by praying for them, talking to them, and loving them, no matter what. God will help us stay out of traps, and He’ll help our loved ones stay out of theirs.  But it may not be the way we think it should be. Sometimes, God does allow the trap to close because He knows, it’s the only way to teach us a lesson. Whatever trap you or someone you love is facing today, keep your eyes solidly focused on the Son.  Let Him be the One to lead you to safety.

Question of the day:

What trap do you need God’s help with today?

Further Reading: Exodus 21:22-23:13 NIV, Matthew 24:1-28 NIV, Psalm 29:1-11 NIV, Proverbs 7:6-23 NIV

“Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help,  as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.” Psalm 28:2 NIV

When you’re at wits end, cry out to God for mercy.  God knows exactly how we are designed, He knows what we can handle.  He knows where we need Him to intervene for us, one way or another. We were never designed to handle things all on our own, yet day after day we try.  Our greatest temptation in life is taking matters into our own hands. When we are exhausted and overloaded, it’s because we’ve been doing it on our own power.  God is waiting to help you. All you have to do is call out to Him. He’ll answer.  

My Dad died from lung cancer when I was 16.  Losing him was the first “big” thing I went through in life.  He was my hero, I didn’t know how I could live one day without him.  He was in the hospital when he passed, all of his family surrounding his bed.  I remember the walk to his room to say goodbye. My Aunt Margie walked beside me. She said these words to me, “God will never give you more than you can handle.”  I’ve lived by those words since that day. But I’ve realized Aunt Margie didn’t finish the sentence. The full statement, and what she meant was: “God will never give you more than you can handle with Him!”  We’re never alone when we’re in the midst of a storm, He is always with us. When our strength runs out, His mercy is waiting. 

When our strength runs out, His mercy is waiting.

My Mom and my Aunt Margie are the two women who impacted my life the most.  Sisters, 8 years apart, they were very wise women. They were strong, powerful women who endured hardships I can only imagine.  They taught me the truth about where they got their strength. Their favorite Psalm was 121: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (vs. 1-2 NIV).

They got their strength from God. They held God to His promises.  They trusted Him. They followed Him.  I have never known two women who lived out their faith better than them.  They set an example for me I can only hope to achieve.

You have access to the same wisdom, the same strength, the same power they had.  Look to the mountains like they did. Trust that God will help you, no matter what the situation.  Let him take control.

Question of the Day:

What help do you need from God today?

Further Reading:  Exodus 19:16-21:21NIV, Matthew 23:13-39 NIV, Psalm 28:1-9 NIV, Proverbs 7:1-5 NIV

“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?”  Proverbs 6:27 NIV

If we learn what fire is, we won’t get burned.  Fire is spending more money than you make, drinking too much alcohol, or eating too much food.  All of these things will cause you to get burned. On the other hand, if you run three miles a day, you will get in better shape.  If you eat less calories than you expend, you will lose weight. And if you spend quiet time with God, in His word every day, you will grow closer to Him.  None of these things are fire, they won’t burn you if you scoop them in your lap. The choice is yours what you scoop into your lap. If you scoop fire into your lap, you will get burned.  If you avoid the fire, you won’t get burned.

One way we get burned  is by assuming. We assume we know what other people think, what other people are doing, why they are acting the way they are. For instance, I’m taking graduate classes right now.  I had a realization yesterday of an assumption I made years ago when I was working on my Bachelor’s. I assumed when the professor gave me a bad grade, it was because he didn’t like me.  I thought I was doing the best I could and he should give me a break. However the best I could caused me to flunk out three times. My assumption was wrong. I wasn’t being honest with myself, and so I blamed my professors.  The truth is, they were just grading the crappy work I did. I scooped fire in my lap, I got burned. Assuming is a scoop of fire to avoid.

Assuming is a scoop of fire to avoid.

I still struggle with assuming.  I have to have mental conversations with myself saying, “I don’t know.”  I don’t know what someone else is thinking. I don’t know what they are doing if they aren’t with me. I don’t know why they act the way they act.  Assuming is a scoop of fire that is done so quickly, so easily and can have such dire consequences. The problem truly lies in the fact that we don’t realize we do it.  We don’t realize we make these assumptions, it’s automatic for us. We make them based off of our own lives, which is a limited perspective. We assume, at the core, everyone is like us, but no one is.  We are all unique, created for a special purpose. If we’re going to assume, then assume we don’t know, instead of that we do. One way to avoid fire is to stop assuming you know.   

Question of the Day:

What assumption of yours is getting you burned?

Further Reading: Exodus 17:8-19:15 NIV, Matthew 22:34-23:12 NIV, Psalm 27:7-14 NIV, Proverbs 6:27-35 NIV

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 NIV

The easiest way to overcome fear of people is with God. Stronghold is defined as a place that has been fortified against an attack.  A stronghold can be either negative or positive. If you are gripped with fear of people, a person or relationship, that is a negative stronghold.  The fear is affecting your ability to enjoy your life. However, if you make God the stronghold of your life, He overcomes any other fears you have. He is your fortress, no matter what the circumstances are in your life.  He will protect you from all attacks, help you weather the storm and have peace in the midst of it. If you want to get rid of your fear of people, make God your stronghold.

How do you make God your stronghold?  By spending time with Him. There is no perfect formula what your time with God must look like.  Oswald Chambers said,  “Allow God to be as creative and original with others as He is with you.”  In other words, don’t compare yourself to how others connect with God.  Each of us has a unique relationship with our Creator, one that no one else shares.  I connect with God in the morning, you might connect with Him in the evening. I read scripture and devotionals, you may listen to worship music and podcasts.  However you choose to connect with God, do it daily. Spend time with Him daily and He will become the stronghold of your life.

Spend time with Him daily and He will become the stronghold of your life.

When a dear pastor friend of mine was shot five times and his son killed while working on a house for a homeless veteran, God was his stronghold. Victims of a robbery, two 18 year old men, shot and killed his son upon sight.  That action took away a worship leader for his church, a husband to his wife, and a father to his daughter. Then they shot my friend 5 times, leaving him for dead. But God had other plans. He gave my friend the strength to crawl outside to call for help, to live.  When he woke up in the hospital, the first thing he asked for was his Bible and books on heaven. He took refuge in the Lord, God is his stronghold. My friend has spent a lifetime of connecting with God daily, trusting Him with his life. Because of his daily discipline, when tragedy struck, He was already deeply secure in God’s stronghold.  Each day you connect with God will make the stronghold a little stronger. If you want to overcome fear of people, make God your stronghold.

Question of the Day:

What is one thing you can do today to make God your stronghold?

Further Reading:  Exodus 15:19-17:7 NIV, Matthew 22:1-33 NIV, Psalm 27:1-6 NIV, Proverbs 6:20-26 NIV

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 NIV

The key to letting God do the fighting for you is to be still.  The verse above comes in the middle of one of the most epic stories in the Bible.  Moses is leading the Israelites out of the slavery they’ve been in for hundreds of years.  Pharaoh is in hot pursuit after them with his army of men in their horses and chariots. The Israelites are freaking out.  They’re complaining to Moses that he should have left them in Egypt, it’s better than dying. They’re standing at the edge of the Red Sea, from all human appearance, trapped.  And Moses tells them, “The Lord will fight for you…be still.”  They were doing exactly what God wanted them to do.  He was directing one of the greatest stories ever told.  We’re at the climax of the story, what’s going to happen next?  The only way the Israelites will find out is if they be still.  How do we let God do the fighting? We be still.

The Israelites really have no choice but to be still.  If they go back the way they came, they will run into Pharoah and his men.  If they go straight, they drown in the Red Sea. There is no place for them to go.  God often puts us in a similar situation. We feel like all of our options are exhausted.  We’ve tried everything, and nothing has worked. We’re trapped in a situation with no way out.  But that is because we’re looking at it from our limited human perspective. God’s ways our not our ways, His thoughts not our thoughts, His perspective not our perspective (Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV).   Instead of giving up, we can do what Moses did, cry out to God (Exodus 14:10-15 NIV).  When we cry out to God, He gives us our next steps.

When we cry out to God, He gives us our next steps.

As soon as God heard the Israelites grumbling to Moses, He gave Moses direction.  He told them to “move on” (Ex. 14:15 NIV).  For the Israelites, that meant walking into the Red Sea.  But first, Moses had to part it. Moses raised his staff, stretched out his hand and parted the sea (Exodus 14:16 NIV).  Where there had been no way, God created one.  God knew what He was doing when He led the Israelites to the edge of the Red Sea.  He knows what He’s doing with the situation you are in today. Whatever seems hopeless, God has a plan.  Whatever seems lost, God has a plan. Whatever impossible situation you are facing, God has a plan. But first you have to be still.

Question of the Day:

What battle do you need to be still and let God fight for you?

Further Reading:  Exodus 13:17-15:18 NIV, Matthew 21:23-46 NIV, Psalm 26:1-12 NIV, Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV

“Guard my life and rescue me;  do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.” Psalm 25:20 NIV

If you want to know you are always protected, put your faith in God.  Having your life protected by God does not mean you won’t ever get hurt again.  When we take refuge in God, we’re taking it because we need it. The world we live in is filled with evil, battles rage all around us of one kind or another.  We all need refuge from it, we all need protection. God is the One who can protect us, no matter what our circumstances.

I recently watched the movie “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”.  There is a powerful scene towards the beginning of the movie.  One of the characters is under attack. Maleficent swoops in, holds him in her arms, then forms a barrier around them of tree roots.  She protected them from the attack. The attack didn’t stop, but they were safe. That is how I picture God protecting us in the middle of one of life’s storms.  He cradles us in His arms and creates a barrier around us to protect us from the attack. He rescues us from the chaos and gives us peace. God not only protects us, He rescues us.

God not only protects us, He rescues us.

Just as Maleficent rescued the character above, God does the same for us.  God is never surprised by the attack. God could stop the attack. He is sovereign.  But God does allow us to come under attack. Attacks strengthen us, they make us stronger.  In order for a weight lifter to get stronger, he has to continually lift heavier weights. He does this intentionally to create resistance.  He knows, fighting against the resistance is what will make him stronger. He knows it will be harder, it may be painful, but if he pushes through, he will be stronger.  God allows attacks in our lives to give us a resistance to fight against to become stronger.  

And just like the weight lifter knows after a hard workout he needs rest, God knows the same about us.  God knows when we’ve given the fight all we have, He knows when we need a break. That is the moment He swoops in and cradles us in His arms, giving us rest from the world.  God is always protecting us. Sometimes He does allow us to come under attack. But He always knows the right time to swoop in and rescue us. He always knows when we need rest.  He always knows when we need a little extra protection. Place your faith in God. He is a place of refuge and protection.

Question of the Day:

What area of your life do you need God to swoop in and rescue you from today?

Further Reading: Exodus 12:14-13:16 NIV, Matthew 20:29-21:22 NIV, Psalm 25:16-22 NIV, Proverbs 6:12-15 NIV

“My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.” Psalm 25:15 NIV

Everyone has an area of their life that is caught in a trap or snare.  A snare is a trap for catching animals. Humans get caught in the snares of life, often not even knowing they’re in a trap.  However, God does. He knows when we’re caught in the trap of a lie, or a snare of unforgiveness. God knows when we’re stuck in a trap of indecision, or low-self esteem.  God knows the snares we fall into, whether we do or not. And He is the one who releases us from them. He is the One who gently opens the trap so we can slip our foot out of it.  If you want to get out of a trap, keep your eyes on God. He’ll get you out.

Besides the traps we fall into and are unaware, there are those we walk right into.   When someone asks you a question, that is intentionally meant to trap you into an answer, those traps are hard to avoid.  They are hard to avoid because we don’t see them coming. But God has an answer for those traps too. He’s not surprised by the situation, He has an answer.  No matter what the trap, God can get you out.

No matter what the trap, God can get you out.

If a dog gets caught in a trap, his master knows how to get him out.  The owner knows the most important thing to do is stay calm. The same applies when we get caught in a trap.  The most important thing to do is stay calm. As the dog trusts his owner to get him out of the trap, we must trust our Creator to get us out of ours.  We can be silent, waiting in confidence for Him to move. As God gently opens the mouth of the trap, we’ll be able to slip out of it with minimal damage.  

When we’re trapped in a lie, God will reveal the truth.  When our heart is hardened to forgiveness, God will soften it to forgive.  When the snare of indecision has us immobilized, God will decide for us. When the tendrils of low self-esteem try to smother us, God will cut them away, one by one.  When someone tries to trap us with their words, God will give us an answer that will set us free. When caught in a trap, keep your eyes focused on God. He’ll release you from the snare.

Question of the Day:

What trap do you need God to release you from today?

Further Reading: Exodus 10:1-12:13 NIV, Matthew 20:1-28 NIV, Psalm 25:1-15 NIV, 

Proverbs 6:6-11 NIV

“Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” Matthew 19:21 NIV

How do you overcome your obsession with stuff?  You give it away. The rich young ruler Jesus was talking to in the above verse couldn’t do it.  He couldn’t sell all of his possessions for entrance into heaven. He couldn’t give up the tangible for the intangible.  And neither can we. We can’t grasp the concept that what we have today is only temporary, that eternity is what we can’t see (2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV).  All of us are the rich young ruler, focused on our worldly possessions instead of our heavenly rewards.  If we want to overcome our obsession with stuff, we have to give it away.

Money can be considered stuff.  I was getting a little too tied to money the other day.  I was thinking about it all the time, worrying about it. I knew to break the thought pattern, I needed to give some away.  When I bought lunch that day, I also bought lunch for the lady behind me. That one act broke my obsession with money. I was able to gain perspective about how temporary it truly is.  But the smile on the ladies face I bought lunch for, that was priceless! Overcome stuff’s hold on you by giving it away.

Overcome stuff’s hold on you by giving it away.

I was recently watching one of my favorite shows.  In this particular episode, the toddler had lost her security blanket.  Security blankets are something a child clings to that for whatever reason, makes them feel safe.  When this child lost her blanket, she had lost her sense of safety. Our stuff can be the same thing as a child’s security blanket.  We feel safe when we are surrounded by the physical things we love. But just as the child lost her security blanket, we can lose our stuff just as easily.   If we lose our stuff, we lose our safety. Unless we seek our safety and security from a source that will never leave nor forsake us (Deut. 31:6 NIV).  

Jesus is not temporary.  When we give away the temporary, we find the eternal.  When we overcome our obsession with stuff by letting it go, we find truth.  We find peace. We find Jesus.

Jesus tells his followers to pick up their cross daily and follow Him (Matthew 6:24 NIV).  Sometimes, in order to pick up the cross we have to lay down our stuff.  We can’t hold both at the same time. Whichever we choose to hold, the other we have to let go.  When we give away our stuff, we are creating room to pick up the cross.

Question of the Day:

What stuff do you need to give away today?

Further Reading: Exodus 8:1-9:35 NIV, Matthew 19:13-30 NIV, Psalm 24:1-10 NIV, Proverbs 6:1-5 NIV

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” Psalm 23:1 NIV

When we focus on what we don’t have, we’re unhappy.  We lack nothing in the United States, yet we are unable to make the top 10 in a study of world happiness.  A happiness survey that began in 2012 analyzes happiness in 156 countries each year.  Currently, the U.S. is 19, they have never made it into the top 10. Even more puzzling, the U.S. is the 11th wealthiest country in the world according to a 2018 study.  We make more money than most of the world, we live longer as a result of our wealth, yet we’re not happy.  We lack nothing, but we don’t realize it. Instead, we’re focused on what we don’t have, as a result, we’re unhappy.

We also don’t acknowledge where our wealth comes from.  We forget that we were formed as one nation, under one God.  When I was a child, we said the Pledge of Allegiance every morning in the public school I attended:

 “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Our nation is blessed because of the God who is our Shepherd.  Founded on His principles, we’ve forgotten what those are. In God we trust in Him we lack nothing.

In God we trust in Him we lack nothing.

When we shift our focus, we can find happiness.  When we acknowledge who our Provider is, we shift our focus from us to Him.  Without the soil He created, we can’t grow food. Without the water He makes flow, we can’t drink.  Without the air he made, we can’t breathe. Without Him, we cannot live. When we acknowledge Him for what He has done, we find gratitude.  We find gratitude for the country we live in that allows us the freedom to live our lives anyway we want too. We find gratitude for the jobs we have, the homes we live in and the food we eat.  We stop focusing on what we don’t have, instead we’re grateful for what we do have. We live in a first world country of abundance that the Lord has provided. We lack nothing.

Question of the Day:

What do you have to be grateful for today?

Further Reading: Exodus 5:22-7:25 NIV, Matthew 18:21-19:12 NIV, Psalm 23:1-6 NIV, Proverbs 5:22-23 NIV

“Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”  Exodus 4:1 NIV

Moses doesn’t think he was equipped to do the job God was calling him to do.  Moses is self-aware. He’s aware that he’s a hypocrite who killed two men (Exodus 2:11-15 NIV). Moses is thinking, “No one in their right mind would follow me.”  But yet, the moment in time we find him in is when God asks him to lead His people out of Egypt where they are slaves. Moses is protesting. He’s coming up with reasons why God should get someone else to do the job.  On top of his list of imperfections, he’s had some type of speech impediment which made talking difficult (Exodus 4:10 NIV).  If I was Moses, I wouldn’t feel equipped for the job either.  But God has a response for each of his protests. Finally, Moses cannot protest anymore.  Someone has to do the job, it might as well be you.

Someone has to do the job, it might as well be you.

I’m starting a new semester this week for my master’s.  I’m taking three classes which means 6 major projects and a ton of work in between.  I do not feel equipped to do any of this. Yet I feel confident God is calling me to the task.  I’ve been protesting for days. Asking Him if I can really do this? Should I drop a class? I’m afraid of failing, and I may fail.  Only time will tell, I’ll never know if I don’t try. Someone has to take the class, it might as well be me.

I don’t have statistical data on this, but I think everyone feels they aren’t equipped in some way.  Mom’s don’t feel equipped to be a good Mom, Dad’s don’t feel equipped to be Dad’s. Teachers don’t feel equipped to teach, doctors don’t feel equipped to heal.  Writers don’t feel equipped to write. But they do it anyway. They take the first step, then the next one, and the next one. Eventually, they look back and realize, “I’m actually doing it.  I’m doing what I thought I couldn’t do.” Don’t focus on what you can’t do, focus on what you can do and start there. One day at a time, until eventually, you’ll realize you’re doing what you didn’t think you could do.

Question of the Day:

What is one thing you can do today in the job you don’t feel equipped to do?

Further Reading:  Exodus 4:1-5:21 NIV, Matthew 18:1-20 NIV, Psalm 22:19-31 NIV, Proverbs 5:15-21 NIV