Escape from the Snares

UV 1318/10,000 Escape from the Snares
Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.
Psalm 124 v 7

A pregnant deer was about to give birth in a forest. She found a remote field near a strong-flowing river. It seemed to be a safe place to deliver its young. Suddenly, labour pains began. At the same moment, dark clouds gathered around in the sky and lightning started a forest fire. She looked to her left and saw a hunter with an extended bow aimed at her. To her right, she spotted a hungry lion prowling to strike her down and make her its prey. The pregnant deer could do nothing. She was in labour. What would happen? Will the deer survive? Would she give birth to a fawn and would that fawn survive? Or will everything be burnt down by the raging fire. Would she perish to the hunter’s arrow or die a horrible death at the hands of the hungry lion? She is constrained by the fire on one side and the flowing river on the other and boxed in by predators. She just focussed on giving birth to a new life. But the lightning struck and blinded the hunter who released the arrow which zipped past the deer and struck the lion. It started to rain heavily, and the forest fire was slowly doused by the rain. The deed gave birth to a healthy fawn.

When I faced the bomb blast at Sriperumbudur, I faced a similar situation. Like the deer nothing I did could have saved me physically or professionally. I survived the blast by His grace but human enquiries awaited me. I escaped us a bird out of the snare of the fowlers. The snare was broken and I escaped. Indeed, escape from death comes from the Lord. Often, our thoughts are so powerful and these overcome us and overwhelm us. The priority of the deer was to focus on its task of giving birth to a fawn. Our hope and focus should be only on the Lord, the author and finisher of our faith. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. He watches over us day and night. In the midst of any storm or challenge, we only need to always leave it to the Lord. He will never disappoint us or forsake us.

Those who attack us will be caused to flee. The roaring or the prowling lion will be caused to flee. The hunter’s arrow or his snare will not entrap us. For He is like a wall of fire around us. Our help is in the name of the Lord. He will not let us become a prey as we pray for His protection. He surrounds us on all sides like a shield, like the mountains surround Jerusalem. The enemy is a hunter of human souls. He lays many kinds of wily traps for us. But the Lord will enable us to escape all of them and enable us to reach our ultimate destination- the bosom of the Lord.

Prateep V Philip