For surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler….

Ps. 91:3 NKJV

I noticed it in the inner courtyard of a home in  North Africa’s Atlas Mountains. Its intricacy reminded me of a Tinker Toy creation. What a surprise to discover it was a handmade stick trap for snaring small birds—a common pastime for local boys while tending their goats.  

In Psalm 91, the Psalmist refers to that hunting technique when he writes, for surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler…. In the spiritual realm, we can be confident God will deliver us from the countless snares Satan sets for us. Satan knows our habits and our vulnerabilities. He studies us as carefully as those little mountain boys studied their prey.

God’s divine protection might be from violence or from any variety of a multitude of subtle character-damaging snares. God is willing and able to deliver us from any of them. His Son, Jesus Christ, has made a way for us to escape through His death on the cross as payment for our sins.

Because of this gift, we have the potential to be shrewder than the sin that so easily entangles us. We also have access to God’s strength. His Holy Spirit can empower us to resist the temptation that distracts us from following faithfully after Him.

Father, increase my awareness of the snares Satan has set in my path. I ask for discernment when I encounter them and for wisdom to draw upon Your strength to choose another path. May You be glorified by what You teach me. Amen

Linda Lesniewski