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! 

Crippling Fear

A breakfast smoothie fell off the table this morning and made quite a splash. Three bath towels later, the floor was cleared of the mess and ready for mopping. My husband took the towels to the laundry room and ran water in the mop sink to rinse them before putting them in the washing machine. Our dog, Scout, saw the towels in my husband's hands and heard the running water, and he trembled with fear. I looked at him with sympathy, and the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart that there was a truth to be told about this morning’s mishap.

Scout was a puppy when he joined our family. He required few baths, and for the first two years I bathed him in the bathtub; then we moved. This house has a mop sink, which made bathing him easier, but he quickly associated the sound of running water in the laundry room with a bath in the dreaded sink. Scout soon outgrew the mop sink, so his baths over the past four years have been in our walk-in shower. Our dog is seven years old now, yet he still cannot shake the fear of hearing running water in the mop sink. My assurances that he is not getting a bath are meaningless until he realizes he is not. Fear has taken Scout captive.

FEAR:  Dread, fright, dismay, alarm, panic, terror, and horror are words associated with impending danger, whether real or imagined.

Fear is a tool of the enemy of our soul, but it is our choice whether to let it cripple or bind us. The Bible says we are to give our worries and concerns to God because He cares about us. We are to stay alert and watchful because our great enemy, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:7-8). The Holy Spirit also inspired the Apostle Peter to write that if we humble ourselves under God’s mighty power, He will raise us up. We can stand firm against our adversary by remaining steadfast in our faith, as our brothers and sisters in the Lord are doing (1 Peter 5:6, 9).  Fear’s “roar” can paralyze God’s children, leaving us vulnerable to being devoured by the enemy. That can happen only if we let it.

Unlike us, Scout cannot grasp or claim Bible truths; he depends on us for care. Join me in thanking the Lord that we can believe in God, our faithful Heavenly Father, and trust His Word. Is crippling fear, guilt, or shame over past sins you have been forgiven holding your soul captive? Or is it a looming, unresolved situation, perhaps one you entrusted to God, that He hasn’t yet addressed? Humble yourself under God’s mighty power—He promises to lift you up at the right time because He cares for you.