Just this morning, I saw myself chasing after an imaginary rabbit so fast and furious that it is a wonder I didn’t get myself dizzy. The devil tossed a few rabbits in my direction, and off I went. More accurately, he sent a few prime thoughts my way – and I was off to the races.
“You’ll never make it financially. Get a job. A real job. This ministry stuff just won’t pay the bills. They were right. You need an income. Don’t trust God. I don’t care what He told you. Trust me. I’ve got you all confused, don’t I?”
Rabbit number one. Just like a beagle dog, I tossed aside everything the Lord had shown me and began the chase – not that I would ever catch the rabbit. But the devil had me where He wanted me. I was so distraught, so wracked with fear, so beside myself, that I could think of nothing but what I heard the devil telling me.
“That person promised you to finish helping you with something important. Did you notice how they’re not living up to their end of the bargain? Go tell them. Tell them how upset you are. Drive it home. Tell the person to get his act together.”
Rabbit number two. As though I wasn’t out of breath already chasing rabbit number one, now I had two rabbits with which to contend. And the rabbits were going in different directions.
Oh no! Rabbit number three.
“Remember the person who recently came back into your life? That person’s a mess. That person will never amount to anything. In fact, that person has gotten into so much trouble the whole world knows about it. As a matter of fact, check out the Internet. You can look that person up on the Internet and find out all the trouble that person is already in. Just like in the silly book you’re reading.”
Three rabbits running in all sorts of directions. Of course, I hurried off to the Internet to do exactly as the devil had told me.
Imagine my morning. So much for my early morning Bible study – the one I had already done. So much for my prayer time. I had already said my prayers. So much for walking in love.
I was so filled with fear that love went right out the window. Not to mention my faith – my faith that has been growing stronger and stronger as I press into the Lord and study His Word more and more.
Rabbits. Beagles. Rabbit trails. I was flying at full speed down three different rabbit trails all at once. In fact, I exhausted myself and could almost convince myself that I had accomplished nothing. But the truth is that I accomplished much. I accomplished getting myself so off track that I had just about forgotten everything the Lord has shown me about what He wants me doing in this season of my life.
Thankfully, like the beagle dog that finally exhausts itself chasing imaginary rabbits, I wore myself completely out. Then I saw it. I realized exactly what I had done. I had taken Satan’s bait of fear and chased so fast after it that I had moved away from the exact position God wants me in – a position of love and trust, of faith and obedience.
Now what? Repentance. I know what I did was wrong. I need to ask the Lord’s forgiveness and receive His mercy. Then I need to return my thoughts to Him and follow His directions.
The morning is not over. In fact, it has barely begun. God is giving me another chance. No more rabbit trails today. In fact, like many of my dogs that enjoy much of the dog days of summer sleeping, I may just allow myself a big old nap today as I continue to learn to rest in the Lord, to trust in Him, and to follow Him as He leads me forward with His everlasting love and never ending mercy.
2Ti 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”