Therefore a lion from the forest will attack them, a wolf from the desert will ravage them, a leopard will lie in wait near their towns to tear to pieces any who venture out, for their rebellion is great and their backslidings many. Jeremiah 5:6
Words fascinate me. So God uses them often to get my attention. Today I saw the same letters in two different ways.
W-O-L-F.
What comes to mind when you think of a wolf? For me, it is something wild, snarling, attacking, hunting prey. Beautiful animals, from a distance. But don’t get too close.
Scripture talks of wolves in this manner. Where I live we don’t have wolves, but we have plenty of their cousins, the coyote. I lost a kitten to one several years ago. It ventured underneath the fence and the coyote, lurking in the tall grass of the vacant lot, snatched it in its mouth. They are stealth in their prowess.
Spiritually, there are a lot of wolves out there. There are ideas that seem beautiful at the time. The lure to run free is tempting. And just when you think all is okay, snatch. The consequences are lethal to the soul.
Wolves run in packs. It is the same with temptations. One rebellious act leads to another. One little backslide sends a person teetering on a slippery slope, ready to tumble.
Now flip the letters around. F-L-O-W.
Eden had a stream flowing through it to bring water to the lush vegetation as well as Adam and Eve. The promised land was described as flowing with milk and honey. Jesus said He was the living water and no one
who came to Him would thirst. In other words, to the obedient, God provides abundantly.
Instead of rebelling and heading off on our own where dangers lurk, we can choose to “go with the flow”, as the 1970’s adage states. Not only can we float in the boundaries of God’s will, but we can be an example to others who either don’t realize that is an option or have considered it too stifling.
Jesus said in John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
So, it’s our choice. Be a lure in the right way to a thirsty world by letting His love flow, or go off on our own and be lured by the wolf called self who crouches waiting to devour our souls.
I downloaded a solitaire card game onto my computer. Each day it has a “win-able” hand you can choose to play. But often times, there are multiple choices. Move the card to the wrong stack or the wrong stack to a blank space and you might get stuck. Then a message pops up. “This is a winning hand. Do you want to replay or be shown how to win?” Most times, I choose replay. I want to figure it out for myself. A few times, I have ended up exasperated enough that I let the computer show me how to win.
overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). His mercy is newly provided every morning. (Lamentations 3:23) He will restore my life. (Psalm 17:20).
Where Did You Find God Today? 