I have heard that derogatory command before, “shut your trap!”. It sounds irreverent or disrespecful, to say the least, and we are taken aback by the harshness of that remark. However, today in church I reached a new understanding and got to see that questionable phrase in a new, revealing light.
In Sara’s teachings, today, she admonished us to watch what we say because our WORDS are often that which cut off the blessings and negate that which we have prayed, hoped and believed for so vigorously. And then she said, “SHUT YOUR TRAP” WELL!!!! “Do you know what your “trap ” is?” she challenged. And suddenly I saw it. Of course! Your “trap” is your mouth. When you tell someone in the vernacular to “shut their trap” you mean to say.,…. “shut up or shut your mouth.” But in the Spirit it has a much greater significance and is of greatest “life or death proportions, that is, monumental!! You see, a “TRAP” is a snare. Solomon writes in Proverbs 12:13-14,(my paraphrase)…A man is SNARED by the words of his mouth (that is he’s TRAPPED). But a just man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth. And Proverbs 14:1 says that every wise woman (and man) builds up her garden and her house. But the foolish ones pluck it down with their mouth. And this Scripture reference ought to make us tremble in our boots! Proverbs 18 :7 says that, “a fool’s mouth is his destruction and his lips are the snare (TRAP) of his soul.”
So suddenly, the phrase, “SHUT YOUR TRAP” sounds like good advice, good counsel given in love and concern for the souls of God’s children. They suddenly sound like words of gracious warning given to a generation whose foolish chatter is shattering their souls and failing to appropriate their hearts’ desire , those things that GOD longs to give us; His very best and *”bundles more!”. But we keep erecting walls and closing gates and shutting windows and closing the blinds with our mouths, and *”it is very dark”.*
*(sara pp. 5,14; dance of healing (c) 2003)
So now if someone tells me to “shut my trap” in the right spirit, I will endeavor to regard it as a loving warning to NOT let the words of my mouth ensnare and TRAP me so that I miss the great blessing that is just around the corner if I will persevere and use my mouth to praise and not fall into that TRAP with my big trap!!!!!
Thanks, Sara!!!
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I wonder that if you fall into your own TRAP by the words of your own mouth your big TRAP, and you’ve been snared and fallen in….that’s REALLY “PUTTING YOUR FOOT IN YOUR MOUTH”!!! RIGHT? Might be where that phrase comes from? Who knows?
Maybe we should look at the animal kingdom and take some advise from Trap Door snails (algae eating snails that help keep fish tanks/ponds clean). These snails slam their trap doors shut when predators approach in order to protect their edible insides from being eaten. If some of us could learn when to close our trap doors we would avoid being ‘eaten alive’ by our enemies also.
I know Sara’s words from her ‘Dance of Healing’ …”words kill, words give life”…reverberate in my being.
I would like to share some notes from my early morning prayer journal for today.
Isaiah 30:15″…In quitness and confidence shall be your strength.”
God is saying, “Bless Me with your lips at all times, Speak My name in adoration. And, I will free you from the (trap mouth)Webster…a person’s mouth (used in expressions to do with speaking) : keep your trap shut!
A trap mouth is prison of our souls and spirit with great confusion in the mind. The Word of God has also instructed us to gain understanding. Understanding is eyes and ears of the heart and its powers will free confusion in the mind. “Praise and Obedience to God” will unlock the trap door and set our spirits free.
Isaiah 30:15″…In quitness and confidence shall be your strength.”
I was doing my study reading which starts with the Daily Lily because there are so many interesting things from each person that causes one to want to study even more …and when I started this study on shut-your- trap I found it ties in with idle words..and this is some of what I found Proverbs 18:23 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” and Matthew 12;37 says “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned…”
Boy Oh boy!!!!! Talk about trap…..If we do as Sara commented below then….the fruit we will be eating will be justification…life….but if not….we will be eating this fruit..condemned..by our own trap mouth….in an Iron Trap for all Eternity…somthing to think about…dj
Serious thoughts Dorothy knowing our words produce eternal results. I was singing along with David the Psamlist this morning from Psm 34:1 and saw where his mouth was filled with health:…” I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth…”. What a great example He is in showing Life can be the power of the tongue.