No Strings Attached!

Friday,March 26, 2010

Today's Passage: Proverbs 9:1-6;10-18
Memory Verse: John 10:10

On any given day, you can find hundreds of offers in your inbox on the website that provides you free e-mail access. "You have been chosen to receive $100." Or, "You have won $1,000 from this or that store." All you need to do is type in your e-mail address or your zip code. Lured by the word we all like to hear, "free", you timidly send a signal to the computer through a click of your mouse that lets them know you have accepted their offer.

Then, like a bird that's been baited into a trap, you find that you've just been re-routed to a whole new page that asks for more personal information, and most of all, a commitment to give them permission to deduct money from your credit card. The entire time, that trap had been set for you, although you hoped it would be different than the last ten times this happened to you.

Our Christian walk is very similar to this scenario. Outside of Christ, everything that's offered to us is packaged in shiny wrapping paper, attempting to lure us into a situation that would ultimately lead to destruction in some area of our lives. Even though our minds know this, sometimes it seems as if we just have to give in to the "click" of the button of whatever the temptation is.

In times of hardship in our lives, it's extremely important for us to guard our hearts so as not to open ourselves up to being lured by the enemy. For example, if you're feeling lonely or unloved, that is not the time to be alone in a potentially compromising position with a person who is not your spouse. Another example of this is when your finances are tight. If you're already having financial problems, why would you give in to accepting a loan? This is obviously another trap set by the enemy to ensure you never become financially free.

The challenge we face daily is walking under the umbrella and in the counsel of the All-Wise God. He loves us unconditionally, and places demands on us that are only for our good. I pray that today you will find it in your heart to hear His Voice alone, for only there will you be safe from the enemy's traps -- no strings attached.

Prayer: Father, I can't thank You enough that You saved me from the enemy's snare. I will hear You daily, watching at the posts of Your Spirit of Wisdom. The voice of the stranger I will never follow again. In Jesus' Name, Amen.