TRAPPED

“If thou prepare thine heart, And stretch out thine hands toward him; If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, And let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; Yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear: Because thou shalt forget thy misery, And remember it as waters that pass away: And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; Thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning. And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; Yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.” Job‬ ‭11:13-18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

TRAPPED

    August first, 2021 the church Michele and I were Pastoring was closed by the SoCalNetwork. Honestly I’ve spent the past two months feeling a range of emotions that drew me deeper and deeper into what can only be described as aimlessness. I felt completely and utterly trapped. This was not the first time I’ve been devastated, blindsided, or hurt in ministry, but it was the first time I felt devalued and unwanted.

    Somewhere about the middle of September, I was asked, “Do you feel that your anointing has been removed, or you have somehow lost the mantle of ministry?”

“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, And shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, When I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.” Romans‬ ‭11:26-31‬ ‭KJV‬‬

    The ministry organization I affiliated myself under has always been a “voluntary cooperative fellowship”. They do not bestow the mantle of ministry nor do they supply the anointing. Their function is to recognize and confirm the calling God has placed upon my life. They cannot take away what they did not give. Yet, even with that knowledge I wandered in aimlessness and depression for what has been nearly two months. If you’ve been wounded, walked through even a moment of life feeling trapped I offer this alternative. Redesign your thinking and allow God to transform the trap into the destination He has planned for you.

Temporary - “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm‬ ‭30:5‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Restructuring - “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.” Galatians‬ ‭2:17-18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Avoiding - “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:22‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Personal - “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:” 2 Peter‬ ‭1:10‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Pain - “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation‬ ‭21:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Elaborate - “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” Joshua‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Destinations - “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John‬ ‭14:3‬ ‭KJV‬‬

    Life is too short to get caught up in all the negative aspects of decisions, actions, and outcomes that are clearly outside of our control. Everything is temporary. Allowing God the opportunity to change our focus and restructure our lives according to His will opens new and untapped blessings. We simply need to examine our lives and keep ourselves free from sin. Avoiding evil in all its many forms and staying clear of its appearance is impossible without the intervention of the Holy Spirit.

    We are in a very personal relationship with Christ. He has called us and equipped us for ministry. We  are commanded to keep making the effort to live up to the potential of our calling. God has given all of us the talents to complete each task. His word offers us instruction, encouragement and strength to be and do whatever functions we fill within society. You are where you are, I am where I am to give God glory. He will take care of the pain along the way! He is taking us to the elaborate destination He has prepared for us.

"For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him." Isaiah 64:4 (KJV)