“All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations.” Isaiah 65:2

“WHOA!!!!!“ is all he said! Standing in the yard under a newly trimmed tree, I was talking to the man who had just trimmed it. Being a fellow Jesus guy, our conversation had been good. Up until that point!. We talked about his family, the state of the world and how faith in Christ really does work and benefit us in such an evil age. And then…

I saw his face scrunch up with a look of horror, his eyes focused on my chest! When he said “WHOA!!!” I said “WHAT??” He backed up and pointed to a dime sized spider on my third button down. My mind IMMEDIATELY went into hyper-thinking mode as I tried to understand his reaction… AND what MINE should be!

What blurpped out of my mouth was a question, “is it poisonous?“ He wasn’t sure but didn’t think so. Which left me confused. I said, “It’s a SPIDER dude! Why the fuss?” He told me he hates spiders. But the look on his face showed that he was terrified of them as well. Brushing it off, I could almost hear the spider laughing as it rode its own web to the ground.

Now I’m no psychiatrist, but I’m thinking his reaction came from his imagining the spider on HIS shirt, since his reaction was exactly the same as if it had been. Imagination is just that powerful, and even MORE dangerous than a REAL poisonous spider. And it is something I don’t believe God is very fond of.

If I see a fancy car, a beautiful home or a gorgeous woman, there is nothing wrong in the seeing. But if I begin to imagine it MINE and begin the destructive path to lust after it for myself, I have crossed a line that has condemned men from the beginning of time. I believe that FEAR and LUST are 2 six-guns strapped to the devils sides. And he’s a dead-eye when he pulls em.

God HATES fear and lust because they take people away from HIM. But because He is a lover pursuing a people and NOT a puppet-master, He HAS to give people the choice to either follow HIM, or embrace their own lusts and fears. I’ve found that HIS blessings and faithfulness are FAR more powerful than anything I might encounter along the Worldly Way.

So…. what scares YOU or grabs YOUR attention away from God?