Are You Dangerous or Are You in Danger?

In my quiet time recently, I had the thought of how we desire peace in life.   We want peace in our home, peace in our relationships, peace regarding our work, peace regarding our health and finances, peace regarding our children . . . we want peace in our community (and nation) – not having to be concerned about things that are going on around us.  We don’t want conflict; we don’t want war; this would bring risk . . . potential danger . . .

But it was in peacetime that the Israelites always seemed to fall away from the Lord. . . . I mean, it was like clockwork.  Read Judges!  Look at the cycle revealed to us in God’s Word.  The people would drift away from God; the enemy would come and attack, oppression would follow, the people would cry out to the Lord, He would hear from Heaven and answer by sending a deliverer . . . there would be war as the Israelites fought to be freed.  The people enjoyed the fruit of victory . . . and then, they had all this time to drift off in pursuit of their sinful fleshly desires.  James 1:14-15 comes to mind at this moment: “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lusts.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”  The cycle would then repeat itself over and over.  Why is that?  My initial thoughts are that their enemy was out of sight so therefore out of mind.   There was no imminent risk present . . . they let down their guard.  They got distracted . . . preoccupied . . . the cares of the world gradually consumed them . . .

A brother shared Jeremiah 13 with us in a recent prayer group and as I re-read the chapter again, I came to Jeremiah 13:11.  As I reflected on this verse, I understood that the Lord made us to “cling” to Him.  It is how the Lord set this whole Creation up.  We were made to be in such close intimacy with the Living God.

It led me to think about my 19-month old grandson.  When we are in the backyard and the two big dogs start barking next door, he runs to my wife or I and puts his hands up . . . he wants to be picked up so he feels safe in our arms.  Once the immediate threat is no longer present, he starts squirming and wants down.  He will begin moving around but continually looks to see where we are….for a while.  However, as the threat becomes a distant memory, he begins to find things that catch his attention and then he’s off and running….or maybe it’s more of a speed waddling  That’s when we have to jump out of the patio chair and chase him down.

Is this any different for us?  We turn and run to God in crisis and ask to be held safely in His arms when the immediate threat is present.   But then, once it’s gone (or appears to be gone), we want to move around, and we begin to venture out away from God.  For a while, we turn and look to make sure the Father is close, but as time goes on, curiosity leads us out further and further.  We become more focused on the things that created the curiosity and we lose sight we are drifting out further and further away from the safety of the Father.

Now I am getting another picture in my head.  Perhaps its because I don’t want to go to work today but I have an image of fishing.   How do you catch a fish?  With bait right?  For the bait to be effective, it’s got to appear to be the real deal to the senses of the fish.  You know where this is going right?  But for the fish to be successfully caught, there has to be another element to this process – the hook.  Once the fish goes for the bait, the hook, which was concealed, is suddenly revealed.  But by this time, it’s too late for the fish.  He’s been caught and now begins to fight for his very survival.

The Word tells us in I Peter 5:8 that we are to be of sober spirit and alert because our adversary, Satan, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.  Can we see this cycle:

•  clinging when the risk is before us;
• squirming once we feel safe again;
• venturing out as curiosity (temptation) leads us astray

We are dangerous in the arms of the Father, but we are in danger when we allow our fleshly curiosities and desires to lure us out away from the safety of the Father.  Be mindful of what is going on around you today.  Make no mistake, whether we see our enemy or not, he is lurking nearby.

Remain dangerous by clinging to the Father today.  It’s who we are meant to be!