Don’t Get Caught!
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? (Matthew 6:26)
One of our favorite summer traditions is heading out to Gloucester, VA to visit Uncle Todd and Aunt Cynthia’s house on the Ware River. We call it “Camp-O-Rama” and our time is spent backyard camping, swimming, and paddling. But the best tradition of all is hanging off their long dock to catch crabs!
To catch crabs, we would simply tie a raw chicken wing to a string and lower it a few feet down into the water. After about 5 minutes we usually felt a nibble and then slowly pulled up the string. The crab is enjoying his meal so much, he fails to notice his slow ascent towards the surface.
Crabbing is very different from fishing because the crab can choose to let go of the meal at any time. Quickly, we snatch up the unsuspecting crab in our net, and before long he is in the boiling pot. Later that evening he is on the newspaper-covered picnic table, coated with Old Bay, and dipped in butter. Yum!
Crabs have all of the food they need at the bottom of the river. But a chicken wing dangling in front of them? It’s just too hard to resist! They hold on and gladly continue to dine as the wing is pulled out of the water. They pay the ultimate price for their gluttony.
Jesus has already given you and me everything we need. But the world will tell us that the latest gadget, next big trip, or larger home will truly satisfy us.
In truth, He is all we need and the only source of true contentment.
When we are in the world, we don’t even realize we are slowly being pulled towards the net. We gladly enjoy the things that will ultimately lead to our demise.
Guard your heart from materialism. Jesus provides for the birds and the flowers and He loves you so much more than them. He will take care of you. Rest in the truth that the only true contentment can come from Him.
Lord Jesus, You are so good to me and You have already given me all that I could want or need. Help me to find contentment only in You and in Your Word.
