“Jesus turned to Peter and said, ‘Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
Matthew 16:23 NLT
Growing up on a ranch, I watched my Daddy set traps for the wild animals who were killing our baby chickens. I didn’t want to think about the pain those animals would feel as the metal teeth locked around their necks. I knew the more they'd wiggle to get free, the tighter the teeth would clamp, until finally they wouldn't be able to breathe. The enticing meat that seemed like an easy way to get what they wanted, would become a dangerous trap and a grueling way to die!
It's interesting Jesus used “dangerous trap” to describe seeing things merely from a human point of view. The world entices us with self-meat, the easy way to get what you want: “YOU know what’s best for YOU—God’s view is outdated!” But sadly, we don’t realize the bait of SELF will trap us, and the teeth of SELF will choke us!
Without the balance of GOD’s view, I see pain as too overwhelming to forgive, bills too enormous to pay, diseases too advanced to heal, and relationships too severed to mend. When I disregard God’s view, I become trapped in fear, worry, anger, bitterness, hopelessness, and exhaustion. The harder I fight for MY own way, the tighter those self-teeth clamp around my neck.
“Father, please save me from being trapped by my own teeth!”
