Spider Webs and Flies

IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008

Twenty-Five of twenty five – a Great Recipe:
25- When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings.
You’ll be smiling before you know it.

Have you ever noticed that when you walk upon a spider’s web that BEFORE you walk into it that you can bring it down with very little effort? I mean almost effortlessly that thing will be reduced to NOTHING. BUT if you carelessly walk into it (and who would walk into one on purpose?), it sticks to you, gets all over you and you have to pull and tug and pull and tug just about strand by strand to get that thing off of you? Ever notice that? And don’t you just HATE getting it all over you? YUCK! You feel dirty and just about defiled, don’t you? Is a picture forming for you here?
That is a really good illustration of Christians approaching temptation (sin) – any sin, whatever it might be. Before you step into it, you can in the POWER of the Holy Spirit tear that thing down as easy as a spider web. Remember until you actually walk into the Spider web, it is flimsy, has no concrete substance, no power whatsoever to entangle you. BUT once you walk into it you are gonna have to WORK to get out of that thing. Now visualize your last temptation. Did you tear it down or did you step into it? Did you say you tore it down? That is GREAT!! Didn’t it feel SUPER GOOD? Didn’t you just smile and breathe a sigh of relief and say thank You, thank You?! Now next time it will be just little bit easier to say no to that temptation and to say Yes to another Right Choice. But what if you didn’t make a right choice? What if you stepped into it? It was pretty yucky, wasn’t it? Are you still pulling the strands off of you? If so, keep it up! In time each will be gone and you will have gained invaluable vision and strength to avoid a similar trap in the future. Is it a long process? Some times it is but this you MUST know – the process will not be any longer than is absolutely necessary to give you keen enough vision and strength enough to ARM yourself to see and say NO before you step into a similar Web. BE ENCOURAGED! And from today forward every time you see a Spider Web remember this lesson and take courage and praise Father God for the lessons they teach us! And praise Him too that you are not a ‘fly’ – read on.
Lets look at the fly that gets caught in the spider’s web – he’s toast, he’s a goner. I mean he is dead meat — he is lunch for the spider! So who does this visual, picture? That’s right! Anyone and EVERYONE who has never said YES to Christ Jesus for Salvation. Such a one is caught even more surely than that fly in the spider’s web. Even as that fly cannot in any wise free himself; even as all he can do is just wait there to die and be devoured by that Spider, so is the one lost without Christ. Apart from Jesus that one, does not have a strand of hope for overcoming sin in this life nor a glimmer of hope for Eternal Life. But lets take this word picture a little further. Do you know what you and I can do? We can pick up a ‘wooden stick’ and we can extend that stick to the middle of that web, create some space (breathing room) and that fly can choose to be free. Now if those humans to whom we present this analogy are as smart as that fly, they will FLY to the CROSS of CHRIST and be free too.
But far be it from me to glory [in anything or anyone] except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) through Whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world! Galatians 6: 14 Amplified Bible.
And that’s how we live ‘ virtually web free’.
Father, open our eyes to see the souls in our lives that are caught like flies in the web of sin and give us hearts to pick up the CROSS of Christ and give them some breathing room to help them say YES to You. Oh, Father, please open my eyes and put me out there somewhere with someone who is ready to be free from the web of sin. I want You Father to make me a ‘big stick carrier’. I want to see You work through me to set people free. Thank You Father and now I come with Jewel, You know the need, You know the obstacles and You know the solution and we entrust her and her future to You and we do the same for these; they are varied needs, some we know, some we do not but in each case we ask that Your Peace be upon them and Your joy be made mature in them. Father, Our IDOK Troops keep them safe this day, protect them in mind and body and spirit. And again we ask You to bring them home to us safe and sound and more in love with You than when they deployed. And Father, I am personally offended at the News Media and their ways. I am offended that they go looking and maybe even goad some into voicing negatives as to this war that we are waging. And Father I am asking You to quiet the voices of liberals who love not this Country or You. And Father again I ask You to let not Baghdad or any of those lands fall into or continue to be control by those who say You are not God. Father forgive America and give us who love You more courage to speak and give us voice and action platforms to honor You and help this nation repent. We are a needy people Lord, help us pray and turn from our wicked ways for Jesus sake. Economic conditions, especially the effects it has upon the minds and hearts of people. Unspoken Requests – situations so close you can only speak to Father about. Joan. Jodi H. David T’s Family. Kimberly. Shay and Emma’s Kids (orphanage in Zambia) Ministry. Susan D. Jason A and his mother. Melinda H. Trisha. Patti’s Family. George. Brennan and his family. Joshua. Branson. The O’Brien family. Brooklyn. Families and communities hit by Gustav and Ike. Jacqueline and her boys, River and Jackson. Kim and her Fiancee. Jonathan. Mabel’s Aunt Lou. Heather and Brandon. Bernie. Darlene and Torkel. Edie G. Rachel. W C and family. Maggie and Family. Dylan. Joseph Toomey and Family. DeLois. Terri. Kim T. Kevin and the children. Katelyn (B). Janie B. Vickie. J Lloyd and family. Janet and Steve. Cathy. Caleb and family. Bay and family. Jennifer B. John and Carolyn and Family. Larry and Claudia and family. Taylor & family. David & Allison. Jeanette and Earl and family. Callie. Madie. Ruth. Cynthia. Martha F and Bob. Allyson and Glyn and family. Brittney and Kersten and family. Sheila and Andy. Carrie and Rachel and Jacob and family. Billy and Gina and boys. Lance and family. Grace and family. Tressa. Brad, Lindsay, Karah and Haley. Chuck. Windy and Jared and families. Helen and Dan and family. Jen and Larry and family. Chad and Brittany and family. Mollie and family. Julia. Bobbie. Tj. Zack. Phillip. Jessica. Larry. Kayla. Trey. Jacob. Ashely. Lance. Candance and Family. Laura and family. John and Sandy. Bill and Judy. Andrew and Daughters. Lee. Sharron and family, Linda and family, Bev and Family, Mollie B. Public and Private School Teachers.
Every IDOK and every IDOK son and daughter and grandchild.
Every IDOK Pastor and Family. Every IDOK church.
IDOKs Military Families.
IDOKs Troops (foreign soil) – Ethan. Christopher. Raul. Robert. Billy. Josh. Buddy. Mark. Josh W. James. Bryan. Nick. Brant W. Christopher R. Joshua M. Brent. Drew. Justin G. Kyle N. Michael K. Sgt. Bozicevich. Bay N. T. Palin.
IDOK Troops leaving shortly for foreign soil: Richard M. Brandon B.
Serving Stateside: Jonathan. Jasmine B. Tommy T. Shaun. Bay. Danny. Lee. George.Travis N. Hawk. Justin G.
Injured and brought State side: Anthony.
Military at home adjusting – Tim. Mack. The 226. Troy. Brad. Tommy. Desi. Edward J. Lyndon A. Jason G. Captain Tran
Still praying but no recent update: Hector. Corpl. Light. Bradley T. Albert R III.
The Peace of Israel.
Revival in America.
November’s Election.
As I post this it is 82°F and scattered clouds in Kuwait, KW & the time there is 5:30 PM AST – on October 28, 2008
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