Thorns, snares, and traps

Reading: Judges 1-2, Psalm 133, and Colossians 2

 

Scripture: Judges 2:2-3, and you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed my voice. What is this you have done? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you. 

 

Thoughts: As Israel was coming into the promised land they were told to drive out everyone and to not make covenants with any of the inhabitants of the land. Through the first two chapters of Judges it talks about all the people groups that were left there and put to labor. God is telling them because you did not listen I will not drive them out and they will be a thorn to you. When we accept Christ into out lives He comes in and gives us authority to kick out the habitual sin in our lives, but when we leave some of that sin rooted in our lives, that choice we make allows and creates a thorn and snare in our lives. We need to walk in the authority we are given and remove the sins in our lives otherwise we may be given over to that sin as Paul wrote in Romans 1:24.

 

Prayer: Father God, we welcome you into our lives and relinquish the sin in our lives to you. We thank you for sending your Son to pay the price for that sin and ask that you help us to walk in your ways and your truth. We ask that you help us to identify that sin and those thorns and snares in our lives that we have unknowingly held onto. Help us to drop those chains that we bind ourselves with and walk in your freedom.