Don't Get Stung!

He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." - Matthew 17:20

Wasps are everywhere these days! Just a few weeks ago my friend and her son got stung while playing outside at a park. Since then, we have noticed a wasp problem outside our front porch too. They are nesting all over...in my potted plant, in my shutters and even underneath my car. A few days ago, my kids and I were having fun in our front yard, when out came some wasps to visit us. I feared my kids would get stung and felt the need to take some action. Yep got the roach/bug spray, backed my kids away, and sprayed like crazy the moment they went back into their "nesting area." As soon as I took my preventative steps, they immediately flew out and hovered around us again.

Last Saturday on my post, I questioned how our day may look different if we thought it could be our last. Did the Lord tug at your heart with any areas mentioned? Serving? Forgiving? Loving the unlovable? Did Jesus convince you to take steps forward in your faith after reading it? If so, you may have faced some problems in your path along the way. Satan is the "wasp" of our spiritual life. He tries to sting us when we are in the midst of serving Jesus. God will show us something that needs changing/renewing in our life, and almost immediately there is a challenge placed before us as we try to achieve it. Satan doesn't want us to follow Jesus or grow spiritually, so he will often try to frustrate, detour, and distract us. Sometimes we get so deflated through this process that we give up. Oh don't let Satan win!

Often I am going to Bible study, church, serve, text a scripture verse or do something that will grow/stretch me spiritually when Satan sends out his wasps. They "hover" around hoping to discourage and scare me away. Being aware of this tactic, he so frequently tries, my goal now is to press on, with confidence, knowing Jesus has a purpose for the task HE has given me. I tell myself I will not let Satan win. Yep I may have had the hardest day with my boys, fought with my husband (he is wonderful but all marriages have fights due to the mere fact we are two SINNERS living under one roof!), gone through stressful trafffic ect...but I persevere and reap the benefits because of it.

While on the internet the other night, I came across some interesting information about wasps and reasons they sting. It explained they only sting when they feel threatened. This was profound as I paralleled this concept to my spiritual walk with Christ. As the Lord prompts me to take steps of faith, Satan feels threatened and goes on the defense hoping I will flee in fear of being stung. The enemy does not want us to follow through because he knows the end result will be a deeper relationship with Christ. As we tell others (both believers and the lost) about the amazing things Christ is doing in our life, the shackles Satan holds will be broken. Definitely a threat to him, don't you think?

So what is it for you? What do you have fear or reservation about that Jesus has asked you to do? Remember Christ will not call you to do something and then leave you there to do it on your own. As the Lord prompts...He provides. We just have to ask Him for help. Praise God we have the Holy Spirit to help guide our words and actions. We sometimes expect spiritual ventures to be this blissful experience and totally forget that taking that next step of faith... means our feet are that much closer to the front lines of battle. What is the "wasp" that is holding you back from fully serving God? Pray and ask the Lord for eyes to see the need and the courage to say yes to it.


Remember that perseverance produces character which produces hope. Don't give up. Stand firm. Get out that Holy Spirit wasp spray and move forward with boldness. Have faith. Move mountains. The Lord has great things in store for you.