Psalm 18:30
As a child, our daughter Julie had imaginary friends named for Disney characters: Wendy, Peter, John, Michael, Eric, and Ariel to name a few. Nick didn't have imaginary friends but he did and does name everything. He calls his saxophone, donning a red case, Jessica. His yellow soccer ball answers to Bruce and the pool robot cleaner, Stanley, swims with our family while cleaning the pool.
Stanley does an excellent job while moving gently and quietly on the bottom. I've rarely noticed him until yesterday when I found him sleeping in the shallow end of the pool with his cord floating on the water the length of the pool and across the concrete to his base. As I stepped into the water I noticed strange looking insects all along Stanley's cord. Upon closer inspection I found a couple of beetles and several balls of ants. These adventurers had walked out onto the cord thinking it would take them somewhere and then couldn't figure out how to put their parade in reverse. I've always known ants were social creatures, but I've never seen them huddle in literal balls. I wondered if they were thinking "Safety in numbers" or if they were climbing on top of one another to get away from the water. Either way, Stanley couldn't save them and the cord led only to more danger. It reminded me of the Titanic, only there were no lifeboats.
Our social nature tempts us to act much like these stranded ants since we also place our trust in the safety of begin lost in a crowd. Like the ants, we may follow an exciting new road because of a charismatic or strong leader like Stanley. Or, we move in the direction the crowd moves and find out we've placed our trust in others who placed their trust in others who placed their trust in others who didn't have a clue where they were going. How heartbreaking when this practice applies to people choosing how and in whom to place their faith, their lives, their futures, their eternities.
"For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, 'Do not fear; I will help you.'" Isaiah 41:13
Father, You're the only One who reaches to us to help and save us Who can follow through. Guide us to think Your thoughts and to lead others to You and not down dead-end paths. Guard us from being tempted by "new" roads when You're the Way to new mercies and miracles every day. Help us realize the importance of our testimony leading those who watch us for direction to You. Help us be lifeboats for those still waiting for the Stanleys of the world to save them.
In the Name of Jesus, the only Savior, the only One worth following
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