Do you feel trapped? Is there a way out?

Probing Proverbs 13:13-14 
People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed. The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death.

Dr. Laurence M. Gould, president emeritus of Carleton College, said “I do not believe the greatest threat to our future is from bombs or guided missiles. I don’t think our civilization will end that way. I think it will die when we no longer care. Arnold Toynbee has pointed out that nineteen of twenty-one civilizations have died from within and not by conquest from without. There were no bands playing and flags waving when these civilizations decayed. It happened slowly, in the quiet and in the dark when no one was aware.”^[1]

This illustration is so appropriate in the age we live in! This Proverb exposes one of the flaws that lead to that breakdown.

When a society ceases to seek anyone’s advice except their own, they are doomed to failure!

When we see things our way, and hold in contempt any other way, the path to doom now becomes a highway!

The very fact that God had His thoughts, boundaries and desires recorded into human language is a testimony of His guidance to us to listen to His advice! 

When we carry an attitude that we don’t need any other input except our own, we are literally “asking” for problems.

Notice, advice coming from wisdom brings life! Remember, wisdom is what brings quality to life! Wisdom teaches you how to deal with issues, when to do it and why it is important.

Lastly, it is no accident that the Scriptures point out that those that listen to wise advice avoid “the snares of death.” This is essential for us to understand! A “snare” is not an accident or a coincidence. A snare is a planned trap!

This should bring a pause…if it is a deliberate action, who is setting the trap? There is a Person that is always for you and desires your best! He created you, however, there is also a person that hates your existence because the Creator of all loves you. The enemy of your soul has set traps for you hoping you will not listen to God, but instead follow the folly of this world! Want to escape the trap…who are you listening to?

The So What: How much time do you spend in the Word? Do you pray for wisdom when making a decision? Have you individuals that you admire that you seek advice from? Are their lives an example of someone that follows the Lord?

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^[1] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 153). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

Even with the Resurrection…there is still one thing impossible!

Luke 18:25-27

… it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God…Who then can be saved? Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”

Is there anything that is Impossible?

First, consider some stark realities in this life that can seem impossible, yet with God they are not!

 (1) Righteous living

As believers we desire to live righteous, yet find a war inside trying to stop us – Rom 7. Jesus met a demonized man; this is how he was described:

Mark 5…a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him...No one was strong enough to subdue him…among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

After an encounter with Christ:

Mark 5:15  When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

(2) Relationships

Matthew and Simon should have hated each other, one a traitor the other a Zealot. However, after encountering Christ they became friends and brothers!

Paul was a zealous Pharisee that was convinced this new belief must be crushed. Yet, after an encounter with Christ he gave his life for the Church!

 (3) Resources

After fishing all night…catching nothing…Jesus entered the scene:

Luke 5…“let down the nets for a catch”...they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

Jesus told His disciples to feed over 5,000 people:

John 6…“Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”...When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over…So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets

         Even Taxes:

Matthew 17…Jesus said to him…“go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

I am not saying go fishing before Tax day; I AM saying depend on God!

(4) Life & Death

The examples of Lazarus & Jairus’s daughter make the point!

The resurrection makes almost anything possible! Still, there is one thing that remains impossible!

* Possessing Eternal life without a relationship with Jesus Christ!

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Ephesians 2:8–9 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.

The So What: If you have not placed your trust in Christ for your life and your eternity, then Easter is nothing more than a day each year! Do you know Him?