It's a Trap

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. 

(Proverbs 4:23, NLT)

A while back, my youngest child decided she wanted to trap a wild bird for scientific (but mostly fun) purposes. 

She constructed her (very unsophisticated) trap, using two plastic bins, packing tape, string, a toilet paper core and some bird seed.

One look at her trap and I was thinking, “This will never work.” But much to my surprise, she trapped four birds in a very short amount of time.

Another thing that greatly surprised me, was the fact that the birds just kept coming back to the trap. The trap was not elaborate or camouflaged in any way. Other birds perched in the trees near our deck and watched their bird friends get caught in the trap. But seeing all still this didn’t deter the birds. They kept willingly hopping right into the trap. It seemed they were lined up waiting for their turn in the trap!

I was watching as she trapped bird after bird. I wondered, “How does this happen? How does she keep trapping these (obviously intelligent) birds?” 

The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said,

“The birds only see the bait. They don’t see the trap.”

Oh hello...somebody stand up and shout!

The birds were so focused on the bait…they completely ignored the trap.

Bait (defined by Merriam-Webster and for our purposes today) is, "to try to make (someone) angry by using criticism or insults” and "to use dogs to make (an animal, such as a bear or bull) angry or afraid”.

Trap (defined by Merriam-Webster and for our purposes today) is, "something by which one is caught or stopped unawares” and "a position or situation from which it is difficult or impossible to escape”. (Emphasis are mine.)

Bait comes in different forms. Birdseed was an effective bait for the birds; however, what bait can effectively be used to trap you? 

Every day, in every circumstance, life and death is placed before us. The power in that is…we get to choose. We choose life, blessings, prosperity, good, or curses, disaster, adversity, evil. ((Deuteronomy 30:15, NLT, NKJV, NASB, YLT) 

At times, some of us have been trapped into doing what others believe we should do...even though, we know what to do and not do in order to guard our hearts. Listen, at times...you are the only one who will make diligently guarding your heart a priority. Don't allow anything rob you of that.  If your life hasn't been on the course you want it to be on...examine yourself to insure you have been guarding your heart.

I pray for every reader today to, immediately recognize the traps that are set before us and for each of us to look straight through the bait and see and avoid the trap. In the name of Jesus, I declare we choose life!

DISCLAIMER: No birds were harmed in this scientific study or blogpost.