How often do bees or other flying insects make their way into our homes by mistake? Have you ever found yourself trying to get one out of your house? I surely have! Here's the lesson I take from it.
I love object lessons. Daily, I find myself thinking of God in things of nature, my son or just daily life habits we have. Here's one I learned by trying to get a bee out of a house.
I remember about 5 years ago, my husband and I were on a trip in Europe and we were boarding in a sunroom at a old mans house. It was all glass and quite nice. One day, as we were doing our own thing, reading or just hanging out, I noticed a bee had made its way inside.
Mission rescue the bee began.
I opened the door to let the bee out and started guiding the bee towards it. I was trying to use a paper to guide it and help it find its way out. What did it do instead? It kept bumping into the glass to try to get out !!
I tried telling the bee that that wasn't the way out. That didn't work too well lol.
Then I started thinking to myself: "Man, if this bee would just let itself go on my paper, I could just put it outside." Looking back to this moment, I'm thinking: "She wouldn't even have to do anything! Just go on the paper and you'll be free!".
And then it hit me. It hits me still today. I turned around and looked at my husband and said: "we are the bee". (something along those lines)
I started telling him that we are like the bee towards God. How often do we find ourselves in trouble, because of our own mistakes? Maybe we ventured a little too far from home, were a little too curious, decided to try something new but risky or we literally were not thinking much and now found ourselves lost!
I'm sure we've ALL been there haven't we? Just like this bee.
And how does God respond? Does He just go *SMASH* and squish us for messing up? No! He gently tries to lead us back onto the right path. Out of the cage of sin and into the freedom of the open fields. Just like I was trying to guide the bee to do.
And what does the bee do? It is afraid. Afraid of letting go in the control of another. The bee has its reasons, it has probably seen many before who tried to kill it for coming too close or tried stealing it for honey or something. The bee has trust issues. Instead, the bee tells itself it'll figure things out on its own without anyones help and keeps banging on the glass window.
That's us guys!!
>>> Fear
>>> Doubt
>>> Self-sufficiency
These three things among many others are what stop us from letting God guide us back into the right path. We're afraid of doing what He says is best because we don't trust in His goodness. We decide to figure things out on our own and keep wounding ourselves more deeply by banging on what seems to be freedom (glass door, you see through but it's not the real thing) but is just a deception.
In the meantime, unlike me with the bee, God is patiently trying to persuade us to follow Him. Like with the bee, "please, just go on this paper, I'll do the rest". God is asking us to take that first step: believe. It takes faith to step onto the paper. It takes faith to decide to make a life changing decision. It takes faith to give up something we cherish. But once we have faith and choose to believe, God literally does the rest. He gives power to go through with the choices we make, He gives strength we didn't have before, He gives guidance when we were lost, He takes us under His wing (on the paper) and brings us out into freedom from sin.
"because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Romans 8:21
Trust in God never gets old. Some of us are sick of hearing sermons on things like that because we've heard it so much but how many of us practice it? We want to hear something new or seemingly more powerful but the gospel is simple: believe. Get your faith right and the rest will come along. Trust in God is always the way back home. Trust in God is not just lazy faith, it involves action on our part too. The difference is that it comes with power to act right.
What if you struggle with having faith? God can even help you with that! Cry out:
"Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Mark 9:24
You see, the man here took the first step of saying He believed and He asks God to help His unbelief. God can even help you believe! Isn't it amazing? He knows how weak we are and helps us in everything.
As we continue along our journey there most likely will be times where we find ourselves back within the confinement of the sunroom. We make other mistakes. We forget how we were lead out before. And the cycle continues. Perhaps many times in a day for some of us. But don't fall into the despair the enemy wants you in. God is continually extending His hand out to you to bring you out. He's not like us who get sick of the bee and eventually just smash it. If you sincerely want out and let Him take over, He'll help you. God is that good.
Sometimes the simple teachings of the gospel seem hard to grasp practically. To this I leave you with the following verse:
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5
Ask God for specific help with what you're dealing with and He will be faithful to answer.
Prayer: Dear God, forgive us for failing to trust in You. This is our daily battle. Help us get closer to you by getting to know You better through Your word and prayer. This way we can learn to trust You more. Because its easier to trust someone you know than someone you don't know. Help us grow in knowledge of You and continually abide in your grace. In Jesus name, Amen.
Much love and smiles,
Nahisha :)