Posted: Based on “Don’t Know What to Do – God Does” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 1/2-3/10, Message #MB402; Daily Devotional #4 - “God’s Way – Not Our Way”
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): The Ocean is a testimony to our belief that God can make anything possible. It is a place of beauty, particularly here in Florida. It is a world of brightly colored fish, coral, and living creatures that could not possibly exist on land. On further examination, we begin to see the true wonder of God’s creation in the sea (Genesis 1:20-25). Many of the “laws of science” are defied, including the law of gravity. Sea creatures change color before our eyes. Some species of fish change gender when they mature and become dominant, while air-breathing creatures such as turtles, dolphins, and whales live in the sea but ascend routinely to the surface to get life sustaining air. Recently while scuba diving, my husband and I had the opportunity to see a lionfish. Lionfish are common in the water of the Indo-Pacific Ocean where they thrive abundantly, but until recently, they were a rare sighting in the Atlantic Ocean. They have created a bit of havoc in the scientific and commercial fishing community simply because they are not supposed to be here. Because of the painful venom they carry in their numerous dorsal fins, many scientists and scuba divers fear their presence. How they got here is not as important as the reaction man has had to their presence. Since the first time they were seen in the Florida waters, most scientists and many divers agree that they should be destroyed on sight because, as beautiful as they are, they have no known enemies in Florida. Scientists fear that they will become prolific at the expense of species of fish native to the area. In spite of man’s greatest efforts, however, the lionfish continues to thrive here. As in its response to Christianity, often the first response humanity has to the existence of something it doesn’t understand is to destroy it. But like Christianity, the survival of the lionfish is living proof that our way is not God’s way, and His will prevails (Isaiah 55:8-11).
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): We know where human “wisdom” leads in God’s Kingdom. Perhaps it is true that a man made a mistake that caused the lionfish to be transplanted here. He may even regret his mistake if that is so. However, there is another way to look at this incident. It might not be man’s intention for that fish to survive here, but it may be God’s will. If it is God’s will, it is not likely that man will remove it without consequence. The Bible gives numerous accounts of the consequences of man acting in his own will instead of God’s. The book of Jonah, coincidently, is a “fish story” in which God used a big fish to demonstrate the consequences of our defiance (Jonah 1:1-17). God wants us to turn to Him when we make mistakes. He actually wants to fix our unfixable mistakes. This is how He shows His glory, by doing what we cannot possibly do. “…We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." (2 Chronicles 20:12) It is my prayer that God will make this beautiful, glorious fish coexist in balance with the other natural inhabitants of our coastline. Left to God, I am confident that the balance of nature will be restored; left to man, we can count on further destruction.
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): We who trust in the Lord have nothing to fear, not even a lionfish. I have been a diver for many years. The lionfish is one of the fish I have always wanted to see in its natural habitat. I never thought I would have an opportunity to see one because of the expense of traveling to the Pacific Ocean. It was an unexpected pleasure to see one here in Florida. Some readers may search the internet for pictures of lionfish and articles on how it came to Florida out of curiosity. Exploration of our world is a wonderful thing, but exploration of God’s Word is life changing. There are many ways to explore God’s world, but only one way to explore His Word, and that is to make it a daily part of our lives. We would not dream of doing a study on lionfish without exploring the necessary research materials and taking notes. God’s Word deserves the same respect. Often people who have never read the Bible try to influence our thoughts on it. Truth in all things must be verified with private study and meditation. Sitting down with a piece of paper and a pen when we open God’s Word is one of the greatest ways to discover truth, open communication with Him, and help us understand His ways. The majority of scientists and divers do not want the lionfish to thrive here in Florida, just as the majority of the world does not accept Christ as their Savior or our way of life as Christ followers. While science is trying to figure out how to remove this beautiful creature from our local seascape, I am secretly smiling at science, because in my little world, God moved a mountain (Matthew 17:20).
Cultivating (Additional Reading): Proverbs 2:1-6; Proverbs 7:1-4 bw
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673 All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted. |
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