Dave and I will be heading to the mountains with friends in a couple of weeks and the guys are looking forward to some fishing.
I remember when I’d go fishing with my dad, I have fun digging through the worm can to find a big, fat, juicy worm and then put it on the hook. I just knew I was bound to catch a big fish…and most of the time I did.
Do you know the devil has a can of big, fat, juicy worms he uses to try and catch us? His bait has names like condemnation, fear, bitterness, jealousy, low self-esteem, guilt, greed, depression and he tries to catch us on his hook.
As a kid, I’m sure you all said this little chant once or twice. “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I’ll go eat worms. Big fat juicy ones, little tiny scrawny ones, oh, how they do squirm.”
Ya, I know kids stuff right? Not so much – that feeling is all too prevalent in adults as well but we just don’t sing the chant.
That feeling that I’m all alone and that nobody really understands me or loves! It can be overwhelming. We’ve all had people let us down, turn against us or just ignore us as if we don’t exist.
But! There is One who promises to never leave us or forsake us.
I love Hebrews 13:5b. “God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” Now that’s good news but let me give it to you from the Amplified version.
“for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]
6 So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5b-6
Now read that again. The Amplified version gives us the depth of the meaning of the words the way they were written in the original language.
This is how God feels about us – He’s there for us. He will not leave me!!!! His love never fails. This ties into what we read yesterday. Nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of God.
When the devil tries to entice us with his bait, we do what God’s word says.
“The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, 5 and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:4-5 ERV
Don’t take the bait – it’s not on God’s menu.
Be blessed today because God loves us, and nothing can compare to that!!