Over the past few weeks the word "lure" has been coming to me in my thoughts, and I know when this happens that the Holy Spirit is trying to get something through to me. As I took the time to study and ponder on this word, I wanted to share it with you. As I looked up the word "lure" and it's meaning it says, "to tempt a person to do something or to go somewhere, especially by offering some form of reward".
tempt
entice
attract
coax
persuade
allure
seduce
bewitch
The word "luring" means an attraction or appeal - AN ARTIFICIAL BAIT used in catching fish. In James 1: 13-16 it says, When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. As I pondered on these scriptures, I thought of how many Christians are being deceived and don't even know it. Deception is when you and I don't see. We are blinded from the truth because we have yielded our thought life to the temptations at hand, the luring of an artificial bait. This draws us away and entices us to follow after our own selfish desires, convincing ourselves that it is God that is leading us.
1 Timothy 4:1 the bible says: The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. When a fisherman puts a lure on his fishing line and casts it out into the deep, he knows that the fish will assume that this is the real thing and will attract the fish to take the bait and get hooked. We do have an enemy, and his job is to try to deceive us into taking the bait, by luring us in with artificial bait, that looks so so real and enticing. To keep from becoming deceived, we will need to stay connected to the vine, Christ Jesus, He is our source. The bible says in John 15: 4 - "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." Galatians 5:16-17 - I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. As Christians, we have the opportunity to pray for those in deception so that God can move on their behalf and open the eyes of their understanding, so they can clearly see the truth of their situation.
