Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Thorns and Snares

Proverbs 22:5
5In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stay far from them.

What are thorns and snares? Thorns cause distress. On the stem of a rose if one is not careful, one can be pricked and caused to bleed. Is this not distress? Who wants to cause themselves to bleed?  And snares are traps that cause one to become intertwined. In other words, those who plot and live in wickedness cause their own distress and are so entangled in it they have to fight to keep it going. But the one who guards his soul stays away. The soul consists of the heart and mind. One who lives in and by the word of God does not delight in causing themselves to be caught in thorns and snares. Those who desire what is of the Lord does not desire to plot evil nor live by it. Those who desire to live in wickedness plot destruction of others but in the end cause their own destruction. The best way not to cause ones own destruction is to not live that way. Did not Jesus say to Peter in Matthew 26:52, "For all who draw the sword will die by the sword?" When one lives with wickedness in their heart and plots it for others, they cause their own demise. The only way to stay far from snares and thorns is to live in and by the word of God. It must not just be words read on a page but it must be absorbed in one's mind and heart. For the heart is where everything flows as King Solomon said in Proverbs and the warning Jesus gave to the Pharisees. Without the Lord, one will not guard anything but their wicked schemes. For the interest will always be of self-preservation and nothing more. Walking in wickedness leads to destruction far greater than one who plots it.

P.S. If you've read the book Get Your JOY In The Morning, please give your review of it on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. When the messages are silent, it's because God wants to know that you're interested in seeking Him. He shouldn't always have to seek you.

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