Soul Protection

Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. _{Proverbs 22:5}

There is truth in the saying that life is not always a bed of roses, or more correctly, rose petals. All of us will know this to be true, for we all have scars left by the thorns. Some thorns are unavoidable but others are planted deliberately. It is the latter that Solomon warns us of.

It is a sad fact that there are those who gain pleasure from seeing others suffer and who have no qualms about taking advantage of the vulnerable. In John’s first letter, he reminds us that ‘the whole world lies in the power of the evil one’ (5:19),and it is he who drives the wicked and the crooked. His mission is destruction and he will come at you any way he can with thorns and snares, for the sole purpose of destroying your union with God.

We must guard our soul at all times. We have a Saviour who died ‘to deliver us from the present evil age’ and through him we take up our shield of faith. Our protection is ‘in the strength of his might’ and with the power of the Spirit within us, we are ‘able to stand against the schemes of the devil’ (Eph6).

Guard your soul, keep alert with all perseverance and pray for God’s continual protection against the thorns and snares that may be sent your way.