“In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls, but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.”

I recently had a very visual experience that illustrates what Solomon is talking about in this passage. Yesterday, on our trip to Sarasota, my son’s girlfriend, who is a sea turtle specialist and researcher, took some of my grandchildren to the beach at night to release baby sea turtles that had been in their recovery program. As we learned more about what they do, we discovered that only one out of every 1,000 sea turtles survives long enough to return to the beach where it was born. There are so many predators and dangers they must survive just to make it off the beach and begin their journey into the sea. These little creatures could not be more helpless. On the same trip, I was in charge of watching my two youngest grandchildren in the swimming pool. Since I wasn’t interested in having to jump in and rescue them—although I certainly would have—I asked them to stay where they could stand and keep their heads above water. For the next two hours, they kept saying, “Granddaddy, how about this?” as they stood on their tiptoes with only their lips barely above the water. They kept trying different strategies to get as deep as they could while still being able to breathe. Sometimes they hung onto the wall. Sometimes they stood on the steps. It was very entertaining, to say the least. However, in Solomon’s passage, there is nothing entertaining about someone trying to get as close to sin or wickedness as possible without getting drawn into it. The only safe place when sin is involved is as far away from it as you can get. Today, be aware of the traps the enemy has laid for us, and avoid them by following Jesus closely. #BeTheEdge

“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” James‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬