BBD 05.31.16 The Beast (New)
Posted by: theburningbushdevotional <theburningbushdevotional@...>
Since June 8th 1998, this
is the 1749th
Burning Bush Devotional
31 May 2016
The Beast
Casting all your care (anxiety – NIV) upon Him, for He cares for
you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a
roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith,
knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the
world. – 1 Peter 5:7-9 NKJV.
In
Houston, some people were out jogging when they discovered that their pleasant
little run had become a run for their lives. Why was that? Because there was an
80-year-old 12-foot long 700lb beast chasing after the joggers. It was a Texas
sized alligator! That’s a big gator, but in Palmetto, Florida there’s a 16-foot
alligator that they say has been living on a golf course for years that
golfers see frequently. Back in 2006, a woman jogging near a canal in Sunrise, a northwest suburb of
Fort Lauderdale, was killed by an alligator. Yesterday, there was an
article about a large alligator being caught outside of a Dallas, Texas middle
school. Meanwhile, in Florida there have been four African crocodiles that have
been found which are much more aggressive toward humans than alligators. (abc13 05.27.16; Houston Chronicle 05.11.06)
I can’t
imagine the terror that you would fear to look back and see a huge alligator
nipping at your heels. When I was a little boy I was out in our pasture and saw
a large snake. That snake chased me; at least I imagined it chased me, all the
way back to the house. I have been watching for snakes ever since then. At
least we don’t have pythons here in Oklahoma, like they do in Florida, or do
we? But we do have rattlesnakes, copperheads, bobcats, mountain lions, and some
bears.
In the
world in which we live there is a necessity for a certain amount of caution.
Certainly, we should not live in fear, but we should be aware that there could
be dangers lurking. Spiritually, there is a continual threat to our well-being;
it is a beast that is continually seeking its prey. The apostle Peter warns of
this threat, and makes it clear that we should be aware of the devil who seeks
to destroy us. Peter says “Be sober, be vigilant…Resist
him, steadfast in the faith....”
We
should believe in the sovereignty of God and that He is concerned about His
children; however, that does not mean that we are to do nothing to protect
ourselves. Of course, we should not live in a state of panic, or terror, but we
must resist the beast, being steadfast in our faith casting our cares, our
anxieties upon the Lord. What else are we to do? Ephesians
6 tells us, “Finally, my
brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles of the devil...praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance
and supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:10-11;18).”
Copyright © 2016. Ed Wrather. The
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