In the summer of 2019, my wife and I along with our children and grandchildren rented a beach house on the east coast of North Carolina. All of us were excited and expecting a great week of fun and relaxation. On the very first day I heard my daughter say there is an alligator on the beach which got the attention of everyone around her. It was about six foot long but didn’t seem to be aggressive.
The alligator is something we didn’t expect to see however it was in plain sight in a place we wanted to go and have fun. It slipped upon us behind our back and was approaching the water where my seven-year old and 11-year old grandchildren were swimming. My oldest daughter moved quickly and got the children out of danger. Meanwhile all the beachgoers saw what was happening and moved to safety also.
This is much like the everyday life we live. We have obstacles and dangerous situations all around us and we will be hurt by them if we don’t go around them or eliminate them. Everyone, whether Christian or not, needs to understand that the world is a cruel place and will step on you if you are not continually watching what you do and where you go.
We need to remember what the Apostle Paul told the Church in 1 Corinthians 10:13; “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
When we accept God as our Savior and put our trust in Him instead of the world, He will guide us and take care of us in everything we do. Too many of us try and correct situations on our own instead of talking to the Lord and asking for directions. Putting God first in all that we do will give us faith that we can overcome our problems and accomplish our goals. Satan will throw obstacles in our path, but we are able to overcome them with the help of the Lord.
The alligator on the beach posed a threat to the ones enjoying the sun that day. However, none of us wanted to swim with her, and I say her because there was a baby alligator as well. Wildlife control was called and came to eliminate the problem. They captured the alligator and its baby and took them to another place that was good for them and made the beach a safe place for us.
GARY ANDREWS' devotional appears each week on the Church Pages of your Clarksdale Press Register. You can contact him at GARY@gadevotionals.com
