The Sting of Negligence

In my 77 years, I have been blessed not to have been stung by a wasp—that is, until today. Today, I was stung not once but three times. Why? I was careless.

My decorative birdhouse on the porch post is two feet from the hanging hummingbird feeder. I tap it
periodically to make sure there are no “trespassers” inside, but I haven't done so for the past couple of months. My negligence had consequences: when I reached for the feeder, three of the eight wasps living inside the birdhouse attacked me.

I watched a male bluebird perch in our backyard crape myrtle year-round, from early morning until evening, always watching and defending his territory. That's diligence! The Apostle Peter warns God’s people to stay alert. He urges us to be sober (serious) and always watchful. The devil, our great enemy, prowls the earth like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Yet he knows that Jesus won the victory over him when He died on the cross and rose from the grave three days later (1 Corinthians 15:51-58).

Our adversary knows he can’t have our souls; instead, his goal is to “steal” our joy, “kill” our testimony for Christ, and “destroy” those who have not surrendered to God’s authority. Those who are lost without the Savior of the world are the devil’s prime targets; he wants them in hell with him. We must be diligent in telling them about God’s saving grace through His Son, Jesus, before it’s too late for them.

Wasps’ stings are nothing compared with those of our enemy. Stay alert; don’t let the devil catch you off guard!