Snares and Traps

Had a good time last night at club. We had two new children and we all had a nice time. Today is Nick’s 9th birthday so we are bringing a cake for him to help celebrate.

Update on toe: It is still black and blue. But I don’t think I’ll have to amputate.

Today is my day off so I’m running a couple of errands and then helping my mucho prego sister get her classroom ready for the new school year and her sub. Blake, my soon-to-arrive nephew, could come any day. I’m PUMPED!

In reading my Proverbs for the day (day 29), I came across this great reminder.

Ch. 29 v. 25 – “The fear of others lays a snare, but one who trusts in the Lord is secure.”

The Spirit led me to stop and reflect on this one. How often I struggle with concerns about what others think or about letting people down. Often, I am more concerned and “fear” what others think rather than what God thinks. This is nothing but hurtful for me and keeps me from following God with reckless abandonment. As the verse says, the fear of others is a snare or a trap that we get caught in. It keeps us imprisoned and keeps us from doing what is best or what we were made to be. It makes us worry about whether people like us or why people are upset with us. Sometimes there are good reasons – like we did something stupid or said something hurtful – but a lot of times it is just people being people and we can’t do anything about that. Yet we lose sleep over it.

My prayer today is that the Lord will help me fear and trust only Him and that He’ll protect me from the snares of being a people-pleaser!

< Mel