All day, I kept picturing a time -- long ago -- when I was caught in the bramble. Have you ever found yourself in a situation and wondered...
"How the heck did I get here?"
There you are -- fallen -- into some sort of dark ditch where you don't belong. It's a sad and lonely place. It's a dark place. And you're stuck, amongst the thorns, unable to move.
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I was tricked! The enemy of my soul showered me with lies, and I grabbed a hold of one of them and made it my own. I kept believing the lie, that this road -- that so nicely catered to my flesh -- would provide the answer I'd been looking for. It seemed like a valid option at the time. But I only saw what I wanted -- the result -- and with that, I totally overlooked the fine details of sin.
I wasn't a Christian, but even still, I knew that I was in the wrong place, doing the wrong things. In that dark, forsaken hole, I knew that I had been created for something more... destined for something better. Why had I settled for so much less? What happened to my dreams?
The last time I was in the bramble, (Yes, I found myself there on more than one occasion), I was a Believer. That was even worse! Eventually, the truth seeped in. What had I done? Spiritually speaking, I had squandered everything of importance running down a rabbit trail that lead nowhere. I took a chance and came up empty.
The last time I was in the bramble, (Yes, I found myself there on more than one occasion), I was a Believer. That was even worse! Eventually, the truth seeped in. What had I done? Spiritually speaking, I had squandered everything of importance running down a rabbit trail that lead nowhere. I took a chance and came up empty.
How did I get there?
I took little steps,
one after the other,
in the wrong direction.
At first, I just distanced myself slightly from the fold. Before I knew it, the others were out of sight. I was in a strange place, unfamiliar territory. Someone told me it was freedom. I could do whatever I wanted to do and that I shouldn't worry about a thing. They pointed out how good it felt... and I believed. I shut off my conscience and took off running.
Looking back now, I was a rebel, a dissenter, a non-conformist. I made a decision and wandered off. My intention was never to become a deserter, a renegade, a traitor. I never thought that far ahead. I just wanted "it." The sad thing is... I never really got "it." I got something that looked like "it," but it turned out to be a counterfeit, a fraud, a fake, a knockoff. The enemy, who positioned himself as my new friend, never delivered. While entangled in that horrible bramble, I realized that this so called friend, never had any intention of delivering "it." I'd been duped! -- fooled! -- taken advantage of. He was no friend. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
I'm not passing on the blame, here. When that moment of reality sunk in, it was clear... I should have known better. I should have stayed put. I should have trusted my shepherd. I should have been obedient. But I didn't. I let it all go, on what now seems, like a whim.
Luke 15:4 says...
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep
and loses one of them.
Doesn't he leave the ninety in the open country and
go after the lost sheep until he finds it?"
 The Shepherd's hand reached down and gently moved apart the bramble. He pushed away the thorns. He untwisted the vines and released me from the depravity of the thicket. He pulled me up into His arms and held me close to His heart. Ahhh! True freedom! True safety! True Love! The real thing!
Today, as I look at the people around me, I notice that many are stuck in the bramble. They don't look so good. As I hear their stories, as I see the physical, emotional and spiritual effects of their sins... when I want to turn and look away... when I want to cast judgement... NO!!! Don't let me, Lord!
Let me remember that it wasn't
all that long ago that I was there myself.
I was no better, no worse. I deserved nothing... yet You reached out to me! You cared for me! You loved me! How can I love like that? like The Shepherd? like The Father? I have no idea. I don't know how. I don't even know where to begin.
I know I'm not capable of such love on my own. Every time I've tried, I've gotten it wrong. Besides, they don't want to come out of the thicket to be with me. They know that I can't deliver on their dreams. I can't supply their deepest needs. I'm lucky if I can smile and say, "Jesus loves you!" That seems so empty, so powerless coming from me. But I don't want to walk along, blind -- or even worse, in denial of the sheep that are caught in the bramble. It must be You, Lord! It must be You!
It's not enough anymore
to wear the RED shoes.
It's not enough for me to look for You.
I must look like you!
 Even then, I ampowerless unless The Holy Spirit, in me, works through me. Only He can deliver on the promises of God! Only He can save a soul! Only He can transform a life! Is it possible for you to do those things through me Lord?
Can we work together
in Divine Partnership?
That is my desperate plea today.
Gail
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