Walk Of Life – Day 06, May 2021 – Thoughts From The Book Of Proverbs – MAY
May We Deliver Ourself
Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, and like a bird from the hand of the fowler. – Proverbs 6:5
Chapter 6 of Proverbs begins with a warning given by King Solomon to his son regarding the cosigning for the friend.
A roe is a small species of deer, inhabiting parts of Europe and Asia. It is light of foot and darts quickly and runs fast when frightened by a hunter. It is able to frantically dash away before a hunter can shoot an arrow at it. Even hunters with firearms have to work hard to take one of these deer. They can even escape many stealthy and quick cats of prey.
Birds do not like to be taken in a fowler’s net. They will thrash wildly, using every ounce of energy and strength they have, to extricate themselves from the net. Their frantic movements, caused by intense, instinctive fear, are almost painful to watch, as a bird can appear to practically turn itself inside out in its efforts to regain its freedom.
There is a time to be frantic! To wildly use every ounce of energy to escape! To violently do anything to get out of danger! Think about drowning and the desire it creates to get to the surface. Some risks have great danger. Many do not allow for any delay. You must act, and you must act now. You must aggressively do what you can to protect yourself.
Financial deals can be painful and must be ended as soon as you realize your error. If you are foolishly committed to unnecessary risk, get out of the deal, immediately. You must escape the trap that has caught you before it fully closes. Be frantic to get out of it before trouble comes. Thus King Solomon warned his son against cosigning loans (Pr 6:1-5).
Reader, are you listening? Does the Preacher have your attention? Solomon warned his son about foolish financial commitments, especially cosigning loans. Being a king’s son brought financial temptations, as friends would ask him to guarantee loans and other obligations. Since he was rich, he might easily agree to such things to be their deal maker.
Wisdom includes wise financial management. It warns against cosigning; it warns against debt; it warns that riches are temporary; it warns against contingent liabilities (Pr 22:26-27; 22:7; 27:24; 22:3). It requires savings and giving (Pr 6:6-8; 11:24-26). Wise men keep their financial lives as simple as possible to minimize risk and fulfill duties. If you are in any binding or risky financial situation, be like a roe or a bird. Get out of it! Now!
The lesson of this proverb also applies to other parts of life. Emotional or physical desire for someone you cannot marry leads to fornication. Some sins you may fight, but this sin is only beat by flight (Pr 4:15; 5:8; II Tim 2:22). Get frantic. We have heard about the way Joseph made like a roe or a bird, when Potiphar’s wife approached him (Ge 39:12). How much greater could Samson have been had he been like a frantic roe or bird? He lingered, and Delilah conquered.
May we deliver ourselves from all the snares of this world.
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. – Hebrews 12:1,2.
