Proverb 1:17

“For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird.”

If I were to spread a net in the sight of a bird, I would do so “devoid of reason”, “without a cause” or “for nothing (nought)”, as it suggests in the Hebrew definition of “vain”. Because the bird would never be caught. 

As he sits perched high above, watching my every move, he would tilt and cock his head and watch through cautious, beaded eyes as I lay the net out with strategic precision. At the first glimpse of a large and swift movement or at the first loud noise, he would caw a warning to his feathered friends and fly off in a direction opposite that from which I lay the trap. In response to his call, a flock of foul will flee with urgency to avoid the potential danger. 

The enemy is too sly and malevolent to lay a trap in plain sight of an observant follower of Christ. Rather he will lie in wait, sneak quietly in dark places and lay the trap where we would least suspect.

All the more reason we should perch ourselves high above ground level, tilting our heads in search of any trace of the enemy. If and when we sense danger, we should be quick to warn our friends with a loud and urgent cry to “FLEE!”