Setting A Trap

Have you ever found yourself on the receiving end of a hurt? How about if that hurt was from someone you trusted that had set a trap to bring harm upon you? I am pretty certain that not a one of us, hasn't dealt with this in our life time. I tend to think that this so easily happens with women because we have such a desire in us to "share". We do have a deep desire also to be "real" or more importantly for our friends to be "real" with us. Sadly, that just doesn't always happen. We have to use wisdom and truly pay attention to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

Now about friendships.....

Samuel had appointed Saul to be king, and with that came David into the picture. David and Saul's son, Jonathan, loved one another deeply, in a very healthy way. There was absolutely no perversion between the relationship of David and Jonathan. I would imagine that they shared their hearts, they were extremely transparent to one another, no lies were ever spoken, let alone thought about. But with that friendship, came a price. Saul became extremely jealous and set out to bring David down. To the point that he desired to have David killed.

Jonathan became aware of his father's desire to ruin David, so he set out to protect his friend. Because of this relationship between the two of then, David made a vow to Jonathan that he would not ever cut off his kindness from Jonathan's family. Saul pursued David time and time again. And every time God protected David from Saul's destruction. But 1 Samuel 28 really spoke to me this week. That Saul had disguised himself and went at NIGHT to a "medium" for help because he wasn't hearing from the Lord. Why do you think he wasn't hearing from the Lord? Would it have anything to do with a wrong heart attitude? That he was pursuing another out of sheer jealousy? That he was walking a life of destruction instead of pleasing God?

I think as women, we can often pursue a relationship with another for all the wrong intentions. To get the "scoop", to be seen, or even to set a trap.

This woman asked King Saul two questions in this chapter that absolutely leapt of the page for me.

1. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?

2. Why have you deceived me?

Have you ever felt like someone that claimed to be a friend was setting a trap? Or that you had been deceived? I want you to take heart and KNOW that God truly does understand. Even through all of this, David was a man after God's own heart. He made poor choices from time to time, yet he was also right on target in his walk of OBEDIENCE. He was honorable with the promise he made to Jonathan, for he took his son into his home and cared for him. He never pursued Saul to the point of destruction. Nor did he deceive Saul. As I came to the end of 1 Samuel, I thought wow, I want to be like that, to think better of others. To not jeopardize who or what God wants me to be and to be honorable of my word and His word.

I simply do not want to hurt another heart by setting a trap for their destruction, nor do I want to deceive. I seek to draw others to Christ by my lifestyle today. I can't help but think of how David was out in the field, being the youngest in his family, a simple shepherd boy, doing what was expected of him. YET GOD HAD BIG PLANS FOR DAVID.


Girlfriends, GOD HAS BIG PLANS FOR YOU, will you walk, talk and listen to Your God? He says in Jeremiah 29:11-13 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

I can't help but reflect upon that if we would PRACTICE THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST, we wouldn't set traps for others, nor would we walk in deceitfulness. We would be very transparent, shining the LIGHT OF CHRIST. Sisters, please do not allow the hurt you have received from others poor choices to cause you to not STEP OUT in what God has for you.