I published this in my second book, Lessons Along the Journey
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Has the
Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice
of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat
of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as
iniquity and idolatry. – The Prophet Samuel (1
Samuel 15:22-23)
I know why they’re called fire ants.
I’ve been stung more than a few times, and I can tell you it feels like . . .
well, like fire. The first time it happened, I thought someone had jabbed a
match into my foot.
Fire ants are not native to Texas
where I first encountered them. They’re from South America.
No one knows how they got to the Lone
Star State
– or how to get rid of them, but their nests are easy enough to spot. Although
the critters build underground, their telltale mounds at the surface can be as
large as four feet around. That’s a lot of ants waiting for some careless
person to get too close.
One day, curiosity got the better
of my judgment. I poked a stick into a mound, stirred it up, and watched a
bazillion frenzied ants scatter in all directions, back and forth into their
nest, over and around in circles.
Mesmerized, I studied them.
That was a big mistake. Before I
realized what some of them were doing, they had raced up the stick. In moments,
my fingers and palm felt like they were on fire. The welts lasted for days.
That taught me to stay clear of fire
ant mounds, but that experience also taught me a valuable spiritual lesson.
The devil is not native to our
planet. Some Bible scholars interpret Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 as describing
Satan’s original habitation in heaven. When the devil rebelled, God cast him
and other mutinous angels to earth (see also Luke 10:18, Revelation 12:9).
Although Satan works “underground,”
in the invisible realm of the spirit, his telltale signs are easy enough to
spot. The dirt he brings to the surface – despair, disease, hopelessness, and
death – is everywhere. And he waits patiently for some careless person to
wander near, to stir the soil, test the limits, so he can move in for the kill.
I assure you, his assault is not
pleasant
As a young Christian, I tested those
limits and played the dangerous game of seeing how close I could get to
temptation without being hurt. I stirred up old rebellions from the days before
my conversion to Christ. A drug experience here, a small lie there, a
flirtation with sexual immorality . . . .
I thought I could get close to the
fire and not be burned. Oh! How wrong I was. No one can stir Satan’s mounds
without getting stung, and unlike fire ant welts, the devil’s wounds can last a
lifetime. That is why I give wide berth to conversations and entertainment that
might seduce me into believing it’s safe enough to play with fire. That is why
I avoid associations and situations that can lull me into rationalizing why
it’s okay to play near his mound. My spiritual wounds and scars are ever
present reminders to me that the devil is much more dangerous than the fire
ant.
And he is not a creature to trifle
with.
The devil’s snare does not catch you
unless you are first caught by the devil’s bait.
–
St. Ambrose
1 comment:
Fire ants are scary. I really liked your analogy here. The Church has a time honored tradition of telling us to avoid the near occasions of sin. If we think of those occasions as fire ant mounds, all the better.
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