01/05/2009 Psalms 31:4

01/05/2009

Psalms 31:4 - 5 (HCSB) ⁴You will free me from the net
    that is secretly set for me,
    for You are my refuge.
⁵Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
    You redeem me, LORD, God of truth.
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Some spiders spin a new web every evening. The fresh web has a sticky substance that holds the prey long enough for the spider to subdue it. The web is extremely thin and often hard to see. Even as big as we are, we find it hard to get free of the web once we get into it. But imagine you were a fly. The web would be a huge net set for you and as soon as you are in it, the adversary pounces upon you.

This is the imagery David uses in this psalm. The web is a huge net intentionally set to catch you. Many times Satan will set traps for us. His desire is to cause us to fall, to cause us to doubt ourselves, and to flood us with guilt so that we feel unworthy of asking for God’s help yet again. But as David points out, God provides us with the following:

*Wisdom to know where traps are likely to be hidden.*

We may not know where the traps are exactly, but we are given the wisdom to know what sort of things to avoid. The Holy Spirit guides us into understanding our weaknesses, and therein, we know we should avoid activities that are likely to target those weaknesses. A person who is likely to overindulge in alcohol should probably avoid situations where alcohol is readily available. Persons who are likely to overspend their budget should get rid of (or stop carrying) credit cards or avoid shoping except when there is a need and then stick to a prewritten list.

*Strength to withstand an attack.*

We may not always be able to avoid situations that attack our weaknesses, but as we persist, and as we lean on His strength, we gain the fortitude to stand firm in our faith. We become more able to resist temptation. We become stronger in our faith. We become strong enough to break free of the “net” (as it were) so that the adversary does not drag us down.

The Holy Spirit guides us so that we can make sound decisions, but we too have a responsibility to recognize when we are in (or approaching) potentially compromising situations.

What are your weaknesses? What situations should you avoid?

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