We've All Got Bugs!

One of my struggles while I was in Africa was the bugs.  I don't mean to be squeamish, but the little things bother me.  I know they won't hurt me, but just the thought of them crawling on me make me want to scream.  We slept with our windows open at the places we stayed, and only the Lord knows what creatures were living with us during our time there.  One morning one of my friends (who I promised I would keep anonymous), was standing in the kitchen in her robe.  She felt something in her robe and thought it was a piece of toast.  To her surprise, it was a rather large dung beetle.  In a house full of women, you can imagine the reactions.  When I got home, I found comfort in knowing that the Pest Control people we use had zapped away all our bugs.  So picture this, I'm in my sweet daughter's room, where I have my quiet time now that she is in El Salvador.  As I am reading my Bible, a rather large black water bug decides to land on my arm.  Needless to say, my husband and son ran up the stairs for fear I was being murdered.  Only to find a bug. 

What do bugs have to do with the Lord?  Well in my over stimulated imagination, I came to the conclusion that no matter where we are in this world, we all have our bugs.  I met with a wealthy gentleman the other day and he was asking me about Africa.  He said, "I bet you can really appreciate being back in the states because we have it so much better here."  In my mind, I had to ask the question "do we really".  This world is full of bugs.  Even though people might think of poverty and AIDS when one mentions Africa, when I think of our country, I think of greed, materialism, lukewarm faith, & the hidden disease of compromised morals.  I have to wonder which bugs the Lord finds the most disgusting.  Don't get me wrong, I know I am blessed beyond measure and am thankful to my God for all He has given to me.  However, when we are in Africa and studying God's word with these precious youth, it is refreshing to see how hungry they are for God's truths.  And when I look at the challenges they face and in the midst of those challenges, how they find complete JOY- looking only into the face of Jesus, I receive a blessing I can't even explain.  James 1:2-4 "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."    Most of our struggles pale in comparison, however some of us here seem to have a lot less joy.  How does God see the "bugs" of this world that find their way into our lives?  The Bible teaches we are all sinners (bug infested) - Romans 3:23 "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard."  Isaiah 64:6 "We are ALL infected and impure with sin.  When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.  Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind." 

The bugs we face in this life aren't by chance.  There is one who seeks to steal, kill and destroy us.  John 10:10  "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  Satan knows exactly what bugs work best for each person or country for that matter.  In the scripture to follow the psalmist uses the word "fowler" to represent satan.  Psalm 91:3 "Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler."  No matter where we are - Africa or America - satan will use whatever it takes to snare us (poverty, wealth, power, lust and pride). He will not leave a stone unturned to ruin my soul or your soul for ever. But as the scripture tells us, "surely He shall deliver thee".  We need deliverance; we need a Savior! The only thing that can remove the bugs from our lives and replace it with complete Joy is Jesus. 

I want to end with a quote by Mark Guy Pearse, "Great sins frighten where little snares entangle. It is easier to escape the huntsman's arrow than the crafty lure.  And where are they not set?  Riches and poverty, sickness and strength,prosperity and adversity, friendship and loneliness, the work and the want of it--each has its snare, wherein not only are the unwary caught, but the wise and the watchful sometimes fall a prey. Little things, mere threads, hardly worth guarding against--yet they are strong enough to hold us and hinder us, and may be the beginning of our destruction."  When looking for bugs - remember some are big and easy to spot, but some are hidden.