Whom He Will Devour

Imagine you are camping...alone.  As you are snuggled into your cozy sleeping bag and the peacefulness of the night surrounds you. Suddenly you hear the sounds of something menacing and vicious just outside your tent! You even catch a whiff of it's foul scent. How scary would that be? The only thing separating you from the dark, evil, blood thirsty predator is a thin tent. I wonder how many of us would be content to snooze a little at this moment. I wonder if any of us would care that it's a little bit chilly out or that the ground is a little hard beneath the sleeping bag. I wonder if any of us would be craving s'mores as we listened to the sounds of the unknown stalker just outside the tent.
Wait! He's not alone! Whatever it is, it came with an entourage of evil, menacing minions, and they're out for blood...YOUR blood.
Just close your eyes and put yourself in this fictitious moment for a bit. Try to tap into the emotions this kind of situation would stir. Can you taste the fear? Can you feel your heart pounding? Can you imagine how vulnerable you'd feel?

Now think about this verse;

1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

Do you catch my intent in painting this picture? It isn't a fictitious senario.

YOUR enemy IS prowling! He IS seeking to devour YOU! How sober are you about this? How alert are you? And how are you resisting him? Are you resisting him? Are you allowing yourself to become distracted by meaningless things while your life, your soul, is in peril?

Your enemy knows no mercy. He doesn't care about your comfort. He doesn't care about your image. He doesn't care about your career, your dreams, your goals, your hobbies or the wounds you still nurse that have made you weak. You know what I'm talking about; the wounds that are still festering because you refuse to forgive. He doesn't care about them. All he wants to do is devour you. And once he's done so, he'll lick his lips and forget about you and then, move on to his next victim. How sober are you about that?

Another thought; Do you love your neighbor enough to warn him about this predator? Are you more inclined to "unfriend" someone as opposed to praying for them? Are you in self-preservation mode? Keeping your faith to yourself, so you can avoid conflict or offending someone?

These are thoughts that have come to mind as I read these verses. So here's my exhortation to you tonight.

Be alert.
Be sober.
Live by the code; "Love your neighbor as yourself".