'It is a trap for a man to say rashly, "It is holy!" And after the vows to 
make inquiry.'-- Proverbs 20:25

Ever been trapped as such? If you think on this one line passage from 
varying perspectives, its simplicity becomes somewhat compound, not complex 
but compound. It is important to look at the meaning of the phrase used in 
the NASU version above which states "to say rashly". When I first read this 
at face value I thought it meant... "Oh, if I seek something in my life and 
without consideration declare it is direction of God, and maybe even act on 
it, but later question it, I've then trapped myself in my own insecurity or 
devices". But looking at the meaning of the saying "to say rashly" 
according to Strong's it shows it as a primitive root; to blurt or utter 
inconsiderately: -devour. Devour? That kind of openned up the window a 
little wider to include things others might feed me in my life as well. I 
think this scripture is interpreted by such passages of those who tell us 
to test the spirits, as well to not lean on our own understanding. If we 
consider a thing in our life, quickly assume something like "Well, it is 
good, it makes sense, it seems right to me and so I buy it as being from 
God and a holy thing", without really considering it from God's Word or 
testing the spirit from which it comes and relying on just our own wisdom 
or ideals, we might find ourselves later questioning it and thus being 
trapped. The devouring bit gives me an image of prey verses victim in the 
echo system of nature. There is a fish in the ocean in which it was gifted 
with a fishing pole and bait. "What is this guy talking about"? You are 
saying? Well it is true. There is a fish in the ocean that has a short 
appendage protruding from its head, a little pole-like deal and at the end 
of it; it becomes quite flexible and limp. This fish will dangle this 
flexible worm-like bit out in front of itself and when a nearby fish comes 
by to investigate a potential dinner, this fish does its thing. What does 
it do? Due to the size of this fish, particularly its massive mouth, it 
opens its mouth so quickly it creates a water vacuum for a couple few feet 
and sucks the investigating fish right into its mouth and "gulp" down it 
goes. This happens so fast that even cameras can't get a full motion 
picture of it but just one frame with it's yap closed and maybe one or two 
frames  before it again shows the mouth closed and the little fishing pole 
out for business again. That is devouring something to me. Have we ever 
done this? Devoured something? Maybe it was a certain ideal, precept, 
belief or value. And it came from a source we know and have come to trust 
and so we believe it without considering it for ourselves according to 
God's Word.

There are a few perspectives in which this could affect us and others. 
Imagine if you or I heard of a thing, a ministry, a minister or whatever 
and quickly said "Yeah that is from God!" then because what we do in our 
lives is seen by others around us, has an affect on them as well. Perhaps 
they have come to know you and trust you and therefore think "Well if so 
and so believes it is of God, I do to". So we have not only a trapping of 
ourselves if we devour a thing and then later question it, but affect 
others too. And what does that tell God as well about our discernment? Of 
course he knows everything so it isn't news to him where we are at, but it 
is a step further when we put action to it. I'm reminded as well where God 
tells our yeses to be yeses and our noes to be noes and I believe it is 
imperative that this scripture be considered so that we do not double back 
on our devouring, or as Proverbs puts it a dog returning to his vomit. 
Perhaps not the same inference but you get the meaning to regurgitate what 
we've devoured and look at what it was we swallowed. Kind of a gross 
analogy now that I think of it but then being trapped isn't a pretty thing 
either. How might it trap us? If you for instance were searching for an 
answer to something in your life, particularly if you've been searching for 
some time and really haven't heard or found any direction and then all of 
the sudden something comes along which makes perfect sense and "Wow that 
must be a God thing" as the Christian buzz phrase says.  So then you 
swallow it and then wonder... "Hey. I wonder if that was from God after all 
because I'm not so sure about this part right here". What might we think 
then? We might find ourselves saying... "I don't think God would take me 
where it seems I'm going now, at first it seemed good, but I'm not sure 
now".  What does that do to our confidence in hearing his voice?  What does 
that do to perhaps God's intentions if indeed he set you on a course for a 
lesson you need to learn but deemed it unholy because the road got a little 
bumpy and "God wouldn't send me down that road". We become trapped in our 
own doubt. James talks about this too, to not doubt, to be sure, doubters 
do not receive from God... well here he says specifically...

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let 
endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, 
lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who 
gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 
But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is 
like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought 
not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a 
double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:2-8

We become trapped in our own doubt, insecurity. Years ago, naive as I was 
to the internet having just gotten on I got a message in my e-mail box as 
"Dangerous Virus Pass Along To everyone You Know" or some such message. I 
thought "Wow! This is bad; I need to let folks know about this! I then sent 
it on to a list I was on and proceeded to get what is known as flamed or 
griped at for sending such things of stupidity to the list. I was kind of 
ticked off I was treated that way, but in months to come realized where 
this person was coming from with the bazillion forwards, virus hoaxes and 
cute heart wrenching stories that are fabrications by someone looking for a 
milestone on the internet. But the point is I devoured what I heard as 
being truth, without consideration and passed it along and then later 
questioned it. I soon became doubtful in my ability to discern what is 
truth and what is lie in such messages as such. I'm sure those around me or 
who saw me pass it on thought... "Oh. Looks like this Brad character is 
pretty naive, I best watch or delete what he passes along". My doubt became 
my trap and it sort of disabled me and tossed my belief structure a bit. 
That is not what God wants for us and so as this passage notes it can be a 
trap to devour or quickly and rashly assume something if holy or of God and 
then later question it.

How do you avoid it? Do not act rashly or quickly without considering it 
according to God's Word, if it isn't matching up to the whole message of 
God, not just one particular passage as you know you could presumably prove 
just about anything by taking one passage, twisting it  and quoting it out 
of context or without   the flavor of the rest of the Word. Remember 
scripture interprets scripture and it is for that reason we ought remain in 
it and consider all we hear, feel, think, and feel we hear from God, 
according to His Word. If it don't match it? Trash it! And avoid being 
trapped from the start by not devouring it sight unseen... as it were.