We need to have a cat here in Africa. As someone who is transient, committing to a pet is always difficult. But here, something needs to stop the never ending swarm of little critters in the kitchen. Mice, lizards, roaches…whatever they are, it’s not good to have them in the food stuff.
Watching her in action can be entertaining, but when she catches a beautiful little bird, I am ready to give her away. The games and torture she puts them through is cruel. As I was subjected to another game of “cat and prey” today, it occurred to me that the enemy is the same with us…
He gets his claws into us. We have a chance to fight and get away.
He bites a bit. It’s getting harder to get away.
He tosses us up and down, and we get paralyzed with fear…can’t move.
He lets us go, and watches for a little while. If we manage to get away at any point, we are relatively safe…but we have to be ready to move fast.
After these cycles repeat themselves over and over, it’s all done. We are done.
It’s never safe to be the one that doesn’t pay attention to their surroundings. Someone is watching and waiting for us to get closer and more distracted. Sometimes they even send us little words of encouragement, calling our name and making us think that they are friendly.
What is it that distracts us and lets us get caught in the trap of the the enemy? I know that for me, being distracted by daily life and stress is the biggest trap. It’s easy to get caught in the cycle of fatigue and busyness. It’s getting involved in a life that doesn’t include daily meditation of God’s Word, and giving Him praise and worship. I have found myself so far from Jesus so many times, and I have the claws of the enemy at my throat. It takes a lot of fighting and prayer to get away, and sometimes I can’t get away fast enough. I sink further and further into his lies and pretty words.
He seduces me with promises that he can’t keep, or lies about my worth. It’s all lies, he is the father of lies.
It starts to get dark, and the fear and paralysis takes over. When this happens, it is only through the prayer and the petitions of my loved ones that fight him off. I can see what is happening…but can’t do anything about it. As soon as I can talk about it to someone, and see the truth…the claws start to lose their grip. As the prayers and meditations continue, he leaves. He leaves, but…
I KNOW he is there watching and waiting. But because I KNOW that he is there, I can surround myself with the LOVE and PROTECTION of JESUS.
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.” (I John 4:4, 18 NKJV)
I can live without fear. And so can you!!