Deuteronomy 7:25
“… thou shall not covet the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee; lest thou be snared therein…”
This verse is on the topic of being snared. We are used to this word in the context of hunting. A snare is something that would trap an animal. Once snared the animal is done for.
What does it mean for a christian to be snared? God has redeemed us from our worldly, carnal life (Romans 7:6). This was destructive. Many of us were grieved by our problems. To go into those thought patterns, attitudes and/or life styles would be ensnaring
Paul gives an example. In 1 Corinthians 10:23-30, he speaks of having the freedom to eat food offered to idols. However, he limits his freedom around certain people, lest they be ensnared. Paul says they are weaker in the faith. This isn’t an insult, it’s just that they need to grow. To them, it’s wrong to eat meat that’s been offered to an idol. By seeing Paul eat it, they may distrust him as a leader. Another action may be that they relax their standards to also eat it. If standards are relaxed with this, they may indulge in other areas that are harmful.
We all probably have areas that we are vulnerable. We need to learn our own and be careful. For some it may be excess, worldly culture, money, the internet, gossip, etcetera.
The Holy Spirit will nudge us as we are entering an area we are to avoid. It’s up to us to follow. This is part of what it means to make Jesus our lord. Are we willing to limit areas of our lives for Him? It’s for our good.
Lord, help us to obey these warnings and to stay safe.