Captivity thinking

Why does it take a while? I should ask; God should answer. Right? Oh, no, not with us. We’ve sunk ourselves into captivity thinking. We must change that before we can even see, hear, or sense God.

We see a perfect example of this in the Bible, in the story of the Israelites after Moses and God led them out of slavery in Egypt. People ask why it took 40 years of traveling before they reached the promised the land. Well, had God given them the promised land right away, they wouldn’t have been capable of seeing it, appreciating it, and sustaining it.

What happens when we’re abused? Our sight changes. We take on suspicion. We take on doubt. We look for ulterior motives (and we’ll find them!). We no longer expect good things. We pick and pick and pick. This is captivity thinking, and it gets in the way of our seeing what’s good.

In the first years of my marriage, I just knew my husband would cheat. He’d do things behind my back. He didn’t mean the words he said. I couldn’t count on him. This was my captivity thinking. It took years (and a lot of mental work) for it to ease.

The number forty in the Bible was metaphorical for “a long time.” Who knows how long it took; but, on the way, during the journey, God was teaching them how to see. As we pray each day, feeling like doing so or not, God is teaching us how to see Him, how to hear Him, how to sense Him. It’s all in the journey!

Reflection

Keep a journal as you pray each day. “What does God want me to see today?”

Prayer

Dear God, I commit myself to praying each day (see January 13), regardless of how I feel about it. Help me to see my captivity thinking and to let You take it from me. I want to be vulnerable before You. Amen.