Wherein I start at point A and end up at point D almost bypassing point B

* I'm having a long-winded day... beware!*

I really love Casting Crowns... and I really like this song. It's a fabulous reminder of how we often get caught in a progressive change, spiraling towards sin and a worldly mindset and life. And who will deny that it's an easy thing to do? I'd reckon that most everyone, whether you want to admit it or not, has found themselves fading into something at one point or another.

It may not be adultery, as the video portrays, but it can be anything. Adultery, stealing, lying, gossip, complacency, cussing, bitterness, what we watch on TV/movies or listen to on the radio, wishing a bad case of chicken pox on your irritating co-workers (not that I would ever do that...), fill in the blank. Anything that doesn't glorify God and edify others can go on that list. I know I am guilty. Are you?

I love how the song ends in a song we all undoubtedly sang as children. So, so, SO much truth in such a simple song.

People never crumble in a day, so we need to watch what our little eyes see, our little mouths say, and our little hands touch. Sin sneaks up on us sometimes. The devil is out there, people, and he's smart.

*switching gears a tad*

1 Peter 5:8 - "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 9 Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are."

Now, I'm definitely no expert on lions, so feel free to correct me or disagree with me, but I don't think roaring lions are quiet. You know when a roaring lion is nearby. In fact, you can probably hear their roar for miles. And, if a lion is anything like me, we ROAR when we're hungry. We're miserable and mean and everyone knows it! We know what we're looking for, FOOOOOOD, but don't necessarily have the particular item we're going to devour in our sweaty palms/furry paws yet. I can only assume it's probably the same with the devil. He knows what he's looking for (a man, woman, child, to deceive/devour) but he may not have a specific one in his sights at that particular moment.

For me, and I assume the same is true for my big furry amigos, once the food is in sight though, the roaring ceases. We go into kill mode. For me, that means making a beeline for the meal and attacking it with a vengeance. For a lion, that means sneaking up quietly then pouncing and suffocating the poor little baby wildebeest. That bowl of macaroni and cheese and the wildebeest alike had little to no chance at all. Goners. (Water buffalo on the other hand, might just have a chance !)

What I take this to mean is that we are well aware that the devil is out there. We can see him prowling. We can hear him roaring. We've probably seen him attack someone else (or even ourselves) before. We've been warned. It's obvious everywhere around us that he's here and he's on the hunt. There's no denying it.

It's when he puts us in his sights and targets us that he gets quiet, sneaks up and gets us. The wildebeest probably isn't surprised that the lion exists... he's likely heard the distant roars, seen him up on a hilltop, and maybe even saw his Auntie Beulah get torn to shreds... He's surprised that it's right there all of a sudden on HIS neck. He knew it was out there, but he let his guard down. He probably found a really good patch of grass and wasn't even paying attention. That's when he was attacked.

We do the same thing. At least I know I do. I get so caught up in the business of life that I let my guard down. We never think it's going to be us, but really, we're ALL on the devil's hit list. And as believers, I kinda think we may all be towards the top of that hit list too.

So yeah. We know he's out there. We know he's in seek-and-destroy mode. We know that he wants to rip us to shreds. Yet, we so easily turn out backs to the roars and go about our business. If I was in the African wilderness, you can bet your bottom dollar that I wouldn't ignore the roars of a lion! I'd keep tabs on the exact location each and every roar came from! So, why do we so quickly ignore the devil's roars? Instead, we need to be alert! And aware! And watching not only our own backs, but our brothers and sisters backs too! We're all in this together!

Alright, I think I've written enough for today. If I don't stop, I'll go off on yet another rabbit lion trail. If you made it this far, I'm very impressed. If I had any cookies, I'd give you one.

Please, let me know your thoughts! Correct me if I'm way off base. Or add something if you like. Or tell me that lions actually mew when they're hungry and that roaring is just a silly made-up myth... like banjos being used worship instruments.