Stay Out of a Snare Prov. 29:6 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
There are several snares in the Bible. You can get hung in one of these and have a terrible time trying to get out. They are like the trip wires in Vietnam and the snares in old cartoons. They are hidden out of your sight until the trap is sprung. Then you are ensnared and can’t get loose. The best way to avoid the snares is to stay out of them. Stay out of:
The snare of transgression – Prov 29:6 – a wicked man is snared by the work of his own hands. He becomes accustomed to what he does and when it hooks him, he can’t quit it. These are what the world calls addictions. You must be extremely careful with television and the internet, not to get into pornography. You must be careful with prescription drugs, not to get hooked. Don’t even think about smoking, drinking and drugs. They are very addictive. The way to stay out of these snares is to keep doing right, “the righteous doth sing and rejoice.”
The snare of the fear of man – Prov 29:25 – men are so scared about the opinions of others that they will not act on anything if they think there is a possibility that someone might talk bad about them for doing it [Jn 9:22]. Many politicians won’t act without first taking a poll. People won’t confront others because they fear them. When you are snared by the fear of man you are not walking in the fear of God. He is the only person in the universe that you must please. The way out of this snare is to trust the Lord, “whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.”
The snare of the love of money – 1 Tim 6:9-11 – the love of money is the root of all evil. A covetous will fall into temptation and a snare. He will err from the faith and he will pierce himself through with many sorrows. One of the worst snares associated with money is debt. It is easy to borrow and hard to pay back. Learn to live within your means. My grandfather said, “Always save a little something out of each paycheck.” Pay your tithe, give, and save a little. Live within that budget. The way of this snare is found in 1 Tim 6:11.
The snare of the devil – 2 Tim 2:24-26 – when a man opposes himself and turns his back on the truth, he falls into a snare. When you find yourself in a snare, you must repent [God doesn’t always grant this], you must acknowledge the truth and then you must recover yourself out of the snare. The reason that some people can’t get out of their snare is that they won’t admit the truth about what they are. A man hooked on alcohol is a drunkard, for instance. That’s the Biblical truth. After you acknowledge the truth and repent, then you must go to work to recover yourself out of the snare; God isn’t going to deliver you. And getting out can be quite a fight. Like Paul said in Heb 12:4, “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” That is some hard fighting!!
Conclusion: Keep your eyes open and be on the lookout for these subtle snares so that you don’t get taken in them. Walk in the fear of God, walk in righteousness, walk in faith and turn away from covetousness.