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When I was a kid, my brother and I watched an episode of MacGyver and got the not-so-bright idea to dig holes in the forest behind our home. Even though our holes were less than three feet deep and about the size of a large cooler, they took several days to sculpt. We concealed the miniature pits with several layers of sticks and straw over the top. Later, we would lead neighborhood boys and even our sisters in a chase and jump over the invisible hole, hoping they would step in and be trapped.
Yes, I now see it was both dumb and dangerous! Falling into one of the holes could have broken a leg, initiated an Emergency Room visit, or at the very least, the need for a Band-Aid. However, our traps never worked! We probably oversold the plan; I think our clever friends saw through the scheme. I'm pretty sure I misjudged my jump and slipped in one time. It is no surprise that these traps worked better for MacGyver! My brother and I wasted a ton of time digging useless pits. In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon warns against conceiving traps for our fellow man: "He who digs a pit will fall into it" (10:8).
Have you ever dug a pit or devised a trap for someone? I am not talking about digging a hole in the woods, but perhaps you have devised a plan to deceive someone or influenced them to stumble to make yourself look better. Maybe you have stepped on someone as you have climbed up the corporate ladder or set a trap to better position yourself for a promotion. The Bible warns that scheming someone's downfall will eventually result in you ending up in a pit yourself. I think of Cain, Joseph's brothers, and King Saul, who set others up for failure, but themselves fell. God, in turn, orchestrated plans against them.
Regardless of whether our traps work or not, God knows our thoughts, and He surveys the intentions of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). Adrian Rogers was known to say, "Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?" God is omniscient, and before the dawn of time, He knew all things. In His perfect Love, He will develop a plan of action to teach us and guide our paths in the way that best glorifies Him. He works all things out for my betterment and His glory (Romans 8:28).
I remember walking through the Georgia pines one day and forgetting about the holes. Yes, I stepped into my own trap; it hurt, and I scraped my chin a little. Sometime later, the Georgia Forestry Department contacted my dad to complain about one of their contractors falling into a hole behind our home. My dad made us cover them, which took much more work than digging them in the first place.
Lord, help me refuse the notion to trap anyone and rather point all to the freedom found in Jesus!
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