Escaping the Snares

UV 1427/10,000 Escaping the Snares

The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set traps for me. Selah.

Psalm 140 v 5

The wicked and proud are always conspiring against the righteous and the God fearing. They like Haman hide snares or traps for those who love God. Jesus is the Mordecai who rescues His people from such traps and He tears asunder the cords that hold these traps in place. God reversed the tables on Haman’s wicked plans to destroy Mordecai and the Jews. Haman himself was hanged on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai and Mordecai was given his place and all honour. Haman’s horse and signet ring were given to Mordecai. The enemy of our souls –satan also sets traps or snares for us since he knows our areas of weakness. He tries to steal or rob our peace and kill our souls. We should be guarded in how we process our thoughts, desires and words such that they do not become a snare to us and we fall by the wayside. The enemy has his finger on our self-destruction buttons. He plans to sabotage what he cannot destroy.

God raises His chosen ones and enable them to stand before the Pharaohs of the modern world. Satan had inspired Pharaoh to order the killing of all Hebrew male children in Egypt since the Egyptians thought that the Jews were increasing greatly in their number. But God chose to protect and preserve the life of Moses using the patronage of an Egyptian princess. He protects us as the apple of His eye. He turns all their devices and snares to naught. He, in fact, enables them to fall into the very pit or trap they lay for others. The stone that they try to roll onto others will roll back on them. Joseph’s brothers conspired to first kill their brother Joseph out of jealousy and then sold him as a slave. The favour Joseph had with their father and the multi-coloured coat the latter stitched for him had aroused their jealousy. Similarly, when a person is principled, multitalented, gifted and blessed, it arouses a maddening jealousy among his peers. That kind of jealousy gives rise to a Jezebel spirit- a spirit that falsely accuses and condemns the innocent. Jezebel the evil queen wished to destroy the prophet Elijah but God hid him and neutralised the plans she made to have him killed.

The shed blood of Jesus protects those who trust in Him from such Jezebel spirits. The Holy Spirit teaches us to identify and escape from the snares set against us. Jesus also enjoins His disciples to be shrewd as serpents to escape the wily schemes of the enemy. Even in the modern corporate world, a lot of intrigues and backroom conspiracies go on to pull down people. When we cover ourselves through persistent prayer under the shadow of God’s presence, He moves ahead of us to remove the barriers and defuse the mines and booby traps on our paths.

Prateep V Philip