You're In This World But Not Of It

January 25th, 2023
by Don Richey

Surely, He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. Psalm 91:3

Notice the wording used in this verse. Surely, He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler. Not “maybe” or “sometimes,” but “SURELY.” Not a conditional “He might” but a definitive “He shall.” What blessed assurance we have that our God will deliver us from the snare of the fowler. The Bible speaks of the devil as a type of fowler. A fowler is a professional bird catcher. He lays traps and carefully hides them so he can surprise unsuspecting birds.

It's vital that we understand that the world we live in is a fallen world. Adam committed high treason and gave the keys of this world to the devil. Because of what Adam did, the devil is the ruler of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Apostle Paul calls him “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). That is why as long as the devil is still the ruler of this world, the world will continue to get darker and darker and there will continue to be accidents, sicknesses, calamities, tragedies, and deaths.

But we can rejoice in the knowledge that the devil’s lease on the world is quickly coming to an end. Paul also tells us that our Lord Jesus is coming back, and all His enemies will be humbled or put under His feet, with death as the last enemy to be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26). In the meantime, we will see the world getting darker and darker. But as believers, we do not need to live in fear. Our trust is in our Lord Jesus.

We are IN this world, but we are not OF this world (John 17:16). There is a very real and active fowler that is setting up snares. Even as I write this article the news is reporting tragedies taking place all over the world. In the natural, this can be extremely alarming. But don’t forget that we have a Savior who is even more real, and He has promised to deliver us from the snare of the fowler and from dangerous diseases and viruses.

The bottom line is, we need to realize how much we need our Savior and His protection daily. We need to involve the Lord Jesus in our lives every day. Only He can deliver us and keep us safe. Thank you, Jesus.