Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
May 21, 2012

“Traps and Snares”
“The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast.” – Proverbs 5:22,br />
A man phoned his wife from the office and said that he and some of his office buddies were going on a weekend fishing trip. The truth was that he was having an affair with his secretary and used this as an excuse. "Be sure to pack my new pajamas," he told his wife.,br /> When he returned on Sunday night he complained to her, "Why didn't you pack my new pajamas like I asked you to?" "I did!" his wife said with a glare. "I put them in your tackle box!" Oops! King David learned that hard as we may try there is no way possible that we can cover up entirely, our transgressions.
Throughout history this very thing has played out time and again with people from every walk of life—culture—social class and yes, even those in some of the highest offices of state and church. Most of those reading this know the saying; “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” That quote comes from John Emerich Edward Dahlberg Acton, commonly known as “Lord Acton.” An English historian whose observations were primarily aimed at the role of leaders of government but also observed the role of religion and the church within the context of leadership. That quote from above comes from a much larger thought and one that reminds us how quickly even the best of men and women are trapped and then reduced to rubble. The following is the entire quote:

“I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they did not wrong. If there is any presumption it is the other way against holders of power, increasing as the power increases. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility. All power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority.”

Acton understood what has been the premise for centuries—mankind is prone to all forms of pitfalls and most of them are bound in either arrogance or a lack of the knowledge of the power, grace and mercy of God.
A statement of Jesus to a woman caught in one of these snares is a great reminder of this. “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:10),br /> Again, had Solomon followed his own advice he would not have been caught in the same snare that countless others have—and if he had not perhaps we would not be having this particular conversation today.
Look out for the snares that are out there and do not allow arrogance or (spiritual) ignorance the opportunity to defeat you.
Pastor J. T. Carnell