[This is one in a series of devotional reflections prepared for Horley Baptist Church during September 2022]
Australian pastor Damon Sokolowski of Albany Baptist Church made the following observation recently: “What do webs and nets do? … They catch prey!”
Indeed, fishermen and fowlers use nets to detain their quarry whilst spiders often build elaborate webs to capture their victims. The psalmist was aware of the dangers:
Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
Psalm 91 v3 [NIVUK]
Of course, for us ‘net’ and ‘web’ have acquired a different meaning but the potential for ensnaring the unwary is all the more exaggerated by their familiarity. You may have come across some of these online hunters:
~ that up-to-no-good classmate who has a sure-fire enterprise scheme but wants to use your name to give it credibility;
~ that girl who chatted to you and now claims to have a photograph album that you might want to buy;
~ your long-forgotten cousin who has made a fortune in Nigerian oil and would like to share his good luck with other members of the family – all he needs are your bank details.
Does this mean that modern technology is an instrument of the devil? No but, like so many things, it has the capacity to be used for both good and evil. It is the motives of those that use these tools that determine whether they are a benefit or a threat. Jesus used an illustration that would have been familiar to his hearers:
Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
Matthew 12 v33 [NIVUK]
Taking this forwards, we can argue that technological advances can be used for positive as well as negative purposes. The development of the printing press, which made the scriptures widely available, also provided the means for the spread of indulgence and deceit.
It is not just the tools and technologies that we have available that have potential for good or evil. Our lives, too, can be lived in a way that reflects positive or negative values. Do we look for an opportunity to share our blessings or are we indifferent to those in the snares around us?
Long ago, when webs and nets were just physical objects, Jesus gave some advice to his listeners:
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5 v16 [NKJV]
Bible quotations: Unless otherwise specified, quotations are taken from the resources of Bible Gateway or Bible Hub, in accordance with the licencing conditions outlined on our Site Policies page.
Bible dates:
Where appropriate, the dates given for Biblical events are based on the Bible Timeline resource
and are subject to the constraints defined on the corresponding webpage.
Horley Baptist Church onlineHBC main site
Confidential prayer link
Return to Tuesday Challenge
Jump to Index of Bible Passages
Contributed by Steve Humphreys; © the Author
Thanks Steve,
A great reflection for today with the appropriate scriptures.