Be
self-controlled and alert. Your enemy
the
devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking
for someone to devour. Resist him,
standing
firm in the faith, because you
know
that your brothers throughout the
world
are undergoing the same kind of
sufferings. 1 Peter 5:8-9
Since moving to the Texas Hill Country, I
have enjoyed observing the behavior of the variety of critters that roam freely
across our landscape. I have even come to accept the unsightly buzzards
lunching along the roadside. But yesterday I saw a scene that startled me,
upset me, frustrated me and definitely destroyed my peace.
From a distance I saw a group of seven or
eight buzzards and assumed they were gathered around a dead armadillo or
rabbit. However, upon closer inspection, I saw a baby opossum, alive and standing on the edge of the
grass, trying unsuccessfully to fend off the monstrous gang of black-winged
attackers. I felt helpless. With no shoulder on the road, I could not pull over
and scare them away. Even if I could
have, they would have returned upon my departure. I drove on in tears. I do not
like opossums, but somehow the visual of a tiny live critter being attacked by
a group of big buzzards hurt my heart.
As the day wore on, the Lord began to
speak to me about what I had witnessed. He reminded me that the attack on that
opossum came because for some reason he had wandered away from his family. He
lost the protection of his mother and, all alone, he became easy prey for
predators. My Heavenly Father reminded me that humans sometimes exhibit that
same behavior.
Too often we wander away from our natural
family, our church family, our spiritual family—making ourselves easy targets
for our enemy, the devil. Don’t you know that satan likes nothing more than to
see us get our feelings hurt, our toes stepped on or our plans rejected. You
can be sure that when we walk away, alone, we are making ourselves vulnerable to
satan who sits crouched at our door waiting to pounce.
Peter reminded us to resist the devil and
I would add the temptation to walk away alone. He also reminds us that whatever
we are suffering or whatever is hurting our heart is felt “by our brothers (and sisters) around the world”. I am not
alone. As soon as I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I became part
of the largest family on earth. I will not walk away.
Are you hurting? Scared? Frustrated?
Alone? If you find yourself tempted to run—resist the temptation! Instead,
remember the baby opossum, and run towards the Father. Let Him surround you
with family. There you will find provision, protection and peace.
JP
2013
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