Watching The Snares And Pitfalls!

In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls, but those who would preserve their life stay far from them. Proverbs 22:5 NIV

All along our journey in life, we encounter moments when we must make decisions and every decision we make, could take us off the path that God has designed for us. When we make the wrong decision, we must be prepared for the snares and pitfalls that await us, but when exercising wisdom, according to God's Word, we can avoid those snares and pitfalls, steering clear of them.

Let's face it--most of us have turned the wrong corner at some point in our lives and that wrong turn cost us something. The cost varies depending upon why or how we made the wrong decision. Making decisions out of anger and frustration, not thinking things through carefully, halts our forward progress and sometimes knocks us backwards, making the forward movement even longer. We've heard people say and may have even heard these words come out of our own mouths,"Every time I get ahead two steps, I get knocked back four." For many of us--that's how life seems to treat us.

The promise from Jesus was not that we would never encounter challenges in life, but that we would, but with the promise also came the assurance that He has overcome the world. So how far back we get knocked depends upon our response to life's challenges. If we stay on the path--our destined path--we can count on Him to be there to keep us from being entrapped by the snares or from falling into the pits. We must remember that the snares and pitfalls were destined for the wicked, not the righteous.

However, the enemy desires to sift us as wheat--leaving us scarred and confused and within the confusion, blinds us to truth and leads us along the path of the wicked, making us feel that there is no way of escape. The escape plan has already been put into action, but we must heed The Word of God, skirting around all the plans of the enemy and succeeding in the plan God has for us--plans for our success.

The path we choose in life will determine how soon or how long we'll reach our destination, according to God's plan. If we obey, we'll stay the course--knowing He will always be there to keep us safe. If we choose to ignore the wisdom of God and disobey, we align ourselves with the plans of the enemy and we can only achieve what disobedience gets us.

We always have a choice--we do not have to succumb to the wiles of the enemy. When we learn to handle frustration and disappointment seeking God's wisdom, we never have to turn to drugs, alcohol, feelings of worthlessness or depression, or any other wickedness that cuts our lives short and decreases our potential for achieving the success God plans for us. All we really have to do is to watch out for the snares and pitfalls by guarding our hearts and hearing God and know who puts them in our path.