“If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away.” — Proverbs 1:17 (NLT)
I find a bit of irony in this verse. As human beings, most of us would say we are smarter than birds — that we can make better decisions for ourselves than birds can. But, it’s pretty clear from this verse that when a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away. We’re not quite that smart.
We need to learn the same thing birds know when it comes to sin! How often we can see a trap and we still walk right into it — like a dummy. “Oh, there was this image that popped up on my computer and I just clicked on it once and then I guess one thing led to another….” or “My spouse was being such a jerk at home and then at work my co-worker was so kind and took me to lunch! I didn’t think anything would come of it….” or “I think maybe I should leave my church community because maybe God is calling me to leave, but I haven’t found a church family yet and it’s really hard…” The list can go on and on.
We make excuses for our sin and we shouldn’t. When we see the signs (the traps), we need to run from them (as fast as we can). This will ensure our safety. Proverbs is loaded with the wisdom that will help identify these traps and help us continue being wise.
“Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise.” — Proverbs 1:2 (NLT)
Make it a habit to read through the book of Proverbs as much as possible; there is amazing insight to help us live a life pleasing to the Lord.
Learning to stay away from the traps —
Tony
Posted in A Word from the Pastor