It Won't Bite The Hand That Feeds It.

Recently I was sitting watching the Sting Rays being fed at the local aquarium. I had never seen this before and was quite intrigued.

Our narrator - for want of a better word- was talking about how the divers were safe because the Rays knew they were coming to feed them. But they also said that they divers were safe because the Rays wouldn't sting unless they felt threatened.

These were not small baby rays, as you can see by the video, some are quite big in comparison to the divers.

It made me think a bit about sin.... At first sin can seem harmless enough..."Of course I don't bite I don't have teeth." Just like the toothless Rays....but their jaws are exceptionally powerful and can cause incredible damage....even though they appear to have comical smiling faces.

Sin too will be you friend, you buddy as long as you feed it. It will let you hang around and pet it and won't appear menacing as long as you keep feeding that thing.

But if you threaten it, it will act provoked and attack with its sting...... One of the greatest struggles you go through is when you decided to actively turn away and repent of deliberate sin. That comical sweet gently floating ray called sin will go into attack mode. It is impossible to be free on your own....But Thank God we have victory IN and THROUGH Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:56-57
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Look Out Below

I enjoy watching movies from time to time. It's a great way to relax when I need to switch my brain off.  I particularly love watching action and thrillers. Something I was thinking about last night and this morning was the chase scenes.

Have you noticed, and I am sure you have, that ever police movie has a car chase scene? And of course there is always the footchase, complete with a chain/wire fence for the fugative to climb over and the police officer to grab his foot as he is going over. Or if its a thriller type there is always the victim running away from the killer, usually in a dark forest/woods.

I was thinking about these, and about the foot chases where there is an over head helicopter shining its light down on the person running below.

So let's picture the scene....helpless, scared victim running for the lives. They are emotional. They are overwhelmed. They are frantic. they are often injured. As they run they get more injured  - stumbling over rocks, whipped by tree branches. Everytime they look back, the stumble and fall or run into a tree. [that should be a lesson in and of itself about not looking back].

Then suddenly a light shines down on them. They rarely stop running when the light comes. Often they feel more scared and exposed and vulnerable.  They might even try push deeper into the trees to avoid being seen. You see they think that the light is there exposing them, and this makes them more vulnerable.

They don't realize that the light is actually protective, and is actually exposing the area around them too. This will enable them to see the rocks and branches and ditches and hunters snares ahead, so that they can run in safety.

It's often like that in our lives. When the word of God follows us like a spot light. often we see it as an exposing of ourselves but we don't see it as the help and loving protection it can also be, helping us to avoid stumbling. This blog is inspired because I feel like the spotlight of God is following me the last few days.... it is always a vulnerable place to be, but its also a safe place to be.

Psalm 199:105 [The Voice]
Your word is a lamp for my steps;
    it lights the path before me.