Don't Call Me the Crocodile Hunter!

It started out as any other weekday morning. I showered, dressed, ate breakfast and prepared to leave for work. As I stood at the dining room table gathering my belongings to head out the door, I caught a slight movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned to see a huge iguana...ok, maybe it was a lizard...posed on top of a box that leaned against the wall. One thing you have to understand about me is that, even though I have six grandsons who could all pass for the Crocodile Hunter, they did not inherit that trait from their grandmother. I hate lizards!! They remind me too much of snakes, which I hate even worse than lizards. In the past my first instinct would have been to call Sarah to bring the boys over to catch this dumb lizard. But, alas, Beford, MA, is a little too far away for them to come and rescue Nina. And the other four "Crocodile Hunters" live six hours away. Still no help! So I knew that I had two choices. I could leave and go to work and hope the lizard would miraculously find his way out of the house while I was gone. One problem...how would I know for sure that the lizard was gone and not just hiding, awaiting the opportunity to attack his unwilling host...ME? So I chose the second option...try to coax the lizard back out the door from whence he came. So I opened the door leading into the back yard and began trying to "shoo" the lizard in that direction. Not a good idea. Did you know that lizards can jump?? And guess who was standing between where the lizard was and where he wanted to jump?? I found out quickly that I CAN JUMP TOO!! It didn't take long for me to figure out that this was not going to work. I realized that the only way I was going to get this lizard out of my house was to try to smack him with the fly swatter. I really didn't want to kill him for fear that my grandsons would disown me. But I didn't see any other way. So after chasing him around the living room I finally was able to sneak up on him and...SMACK! I got him. Fortunately, I just knocked him silly, but it was enough to allow me to pick him up (with the fly swatter, of course) and toss him out the door into the back yard. I'm happy (I think) to tell you that he survived and is probably now plotting his revenge. Why am I sharing my lizard story with you?? Because God used it to teach me a spiritual lesson. How many times has that Old Serpent, the devil sneaked into my house without being noticed? When I've caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye, my first reaction is to chase him out on my own. That doesn't work any better than it did with the lizard! The enemy jumps at me and sometimes scares the pants off me. I've found that the only way to deal with the devil is with Help...the kind that comes from our Father. I need to deal with the devil in the same way that Jesus did...with the Word. I just need to smack him with the Word and knock him silly. Then I can kick him out of my house. I know he'll come back...but I'll be waiting for him!
Remember Eph. 6:10-17..."Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God..."
Happy Hunting!!