Stretched above the mailbox, the butterfly hung motionless in mid-flight. Her wings spread out perfectly, like a dead moth pinned in a display case—except this butterfly was alive. She had fluttered into a spider’s web. Soon the spider would return to enjoy a tasty meal.
Seeing the butterfly trapped, I freed her. I gently snapped the web’s sticky threads, and at that moment learned something new: a butterfly’s wing is more fragile than a spider’s web. My compassion, my great strength, even my knowledge of her future were all useless. Being caught in that web destroyed her.
Like the butterfly, people also become trapped by making foolish choices. Often, we can predict their future. The high school dropout struggles to find jobs. The smoker gets emphysema. The father neglects his children and loses their love forever.
The writer of Hebrews urges us to throw off the things that hinder: selfish indulgence, laziness, and mindless distraction. These things prevent us from experiencing God’s best. Our Creator has dreams for each of us. We grow into our destiny only by obeying the Holy Spirit’s promptings.
The Lord recently invited me to “get used to the quiet.” I’ve been asking God to use me powerfully. His reply was, “Maureen, stop turning on the TV, watching movies, and wasting time on the Internet. Stop distracting yourself.”
I’m struggling to obey because I’m caught in the enemy’s web. Decades ago, I started gorging myself on empty entertainment, and now I crave it. I need Jesus’ help to be set free.
In the sunlight, a spider’s web glistens. In the shade, it fades to invisibility. It’s easy to get entangled.
Let the Holy Spirit put His finger on something in your life. Perhaps it’s a relationship, a foolish habit, or a craving. Pay attention. Obey His gentle nudges, and God will cut Satan’s sticky threads and set you free.
(Photo courtesy of morguefile and Alvimann.)
(For more devotions, visit us at www.christiandevotions.us.)
Wow, what a great analogy, Maureen! Thanks for sharing!
This is really powerful. I am going to save it to share in youth discipleship.