October 1, 2008
The
Web
The
outdoor barbecue grill hadn't been used in a while. At least that's what the
spider web said. The intricate web covered the top of the grill, and I'm certain
it was the result of many hours of patient labor. I shooed the spider away and
began to clean the grill for the fire.
The
spider came back. I shooed him away again.
I
turned on the tank and lit the fire. The spider came back and began to crawl
down into the grill. A sudden burst of flame was the last thing the spider ever
knew.
Sometimes
people are not much different than the spider. They diligently build the
intricate web of their lives. That web can be swept away at any time by
circumstances outside our control.
We
dance above the flames in our sin and God shoo's us away. We come back again and
again.
Sometimes
God's wrath descends on us as He gives us over to our sinful ways.
The
wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and
wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be
known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For
since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and
divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,
so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither
glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile
and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they
became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look
like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over
in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of
their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and
worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever
praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their
women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men
also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one
another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves
the due penalty for their perversion. Furthermore, since they did not think it
worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind,
to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of
wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife,
deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant
and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they
are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's
righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only
continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. Romans
1:18-31 NIV
It's
a dangerous thing to be under the wrath of God. The longer we stay there the
more damage can be done. The longer we stay there the less likely we are to hear
God calling us into His forgiving and loving arms.
Yet
for some, they must hit bottom before they will call out to Him. They must
destroy the very fabric of the webbing that holds their world together.
Relationships crumble, self respect is destroyed, normal life becomes
impossible. Loneliness, bitterness, anger, addictions, crime and sorrow may
follow as they plummet ever faster in the cycle of self destruction.
It's
painful to watch, especially if the person is someone we care about. For those
of us watching, we must never give up on them. We need to pray diligently. There
is always hope of rescue.
Be
merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to
others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by
corrupted flesh.
Jude 1:22-23 NIV
We
can't save someone who insists on dancing on the spider's web above the flames
of destruction, but we serve an Almighty God who can. He doesn't give up on them
even when they're under His wrath. The nation of Israel fell frequently under
the wrath of God for their disobedience, but there was always a remnant of
people praying. Every time the people repented and tuned back to Him, God showed
them mercy.
Until
next time, rejoice in the awesome faithfulness of a God who loves us enough to
let us face the consequences of our own actions, and still waits for us with
love and forgiveness.
Be
blessed
Darrel
Mason