By Pastor Dr. Ronnie W. Wolfe
God continually warned Israel about serving other gods, that these gods would be a snare to them (Exodus 23:33; Psalm 106:36).
The wicked, the ungodly, the haters of God and hostile toward God are continually laying snares for the Christian. These snares come in many forms. They come in the "form of godliness" (2 Tim. 3:5). The word form in this verse means "a resemblance," not the real form, as is mentioned in 2 Tim. 1:13, which is an example, a showing forth and telling forth of the real truth, not simply a resemblance of the truth. This resemblance of the truth is a snare, a trap, that is set for believers to lead them away from the real truth, to cause them to stumble.
Jeremiah spoke of this:
Jeremiah 18:15 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;
But we shall not err (stray from) the truth of the LORD if we will eat and digest the word of God for our strength and our confidence. Notice these verses:
Psalm 119:89 -- Thy word is settled . . .
Psalm 119:105 -- Thy word is a lamp and a light . . .
Psalm 119:40 -- Thy word is very pure . . .
Psalm 119:160 -- Thy word is true from the beginning ...
Therefore, to keep from swerving, from swaying, from turning from the truth, one must keep himself in the word of God daily, eating it and digesting it, memorizing it, reading it, consuming it. Otherwise, we shall be as the Israelites as they turned from God's commandments to serve other gods. We all have this proclivity, so let us read the word, believe the word, preach the word, and live the word so we will not err and fall into the snares that the wicked (even Satan himself) have set for us.
Psalms 70:2 Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.
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