You know how it is in a seatbelt –  you put it on and it is pretty loose and allows you to move around within reason.  You can lean forward to adjust the radio, or sideways to set your purse on the floor or move backwards to break up a fight with the kids in the back seat.  It kind of gives you a gentle “hug” but still allows you freedom to move about comfortably.

But have you ever been just sitting and then went to move and UGHHH!??  The automatic protection of the seatbelt caused you to stay right where you were.  No one hit the brakes or you didn’t see anything that should cause the seatbelt to halt you in your movement, but something told the seatbelt to “hug” you tight and protect you from moving to where you were planning to move.

It seems aggravating when that lock won’t let you move about freely in the seatbelt but in reality it is trying to protect you.  Just like our God!!  He gently hugs us with His protecting arms each and every day with every passing moment if we let Him.  He gives us freedom to move about yet keeps us under His protection.  Sometimes He stops us right in our tracks when we are moving towards something that could be dangerous for us or that is not in His plan for us.

The problem is that sometimes we don’t pay attention to the tug on our heart that says “don’t go there”.  We ignore the hold that in reality is trying to protect us.  We put our blinders on and want it our way.  Instead of paying attention to the protection, we remove it.  We take off the seatbelt to do what we want.  We remove God’s hand of protection and tell Him we’ll be right back when we finish what WE want to do.

Allow God to wrap His hand of protection around you today and give you a big ole seatbelt hug.  Trust Him.  If you don’t get to move in the direction that you want, trust that He is protecting you from something that He knows isn’t right for you.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.