Not too long ago I was working at our church, and just as I stepped out of the door I felt something flutter across my hand. Then all of the sudden I felt a sharp stinging pain. A little red wasp that I like to call a “flying devil,” had stung me!
Next came the ice, Benadryl, a long nap, and a red, swollen hand. It stayed red and swollen for days. It was a typical reaction to the poison injected by the wasp, which is why when I got stung AGAIN the other day, I was really worried.
Especially since I had just gotten stung on the end of my nose! Of all the places that a wasp could sting, the end of my nose was the absolute worst. My eyes started to water, I began to sneeze over and over, wave by wave, the feeling of stinging pain flooded over my face, and all that I could envision was a nose like Jimmy Durante!
It is funny how something so incredibly small can make such a big hurt, and even more incredible how long that hurt can stick around! For the rest of the day, it was red and sore but luckily it didn't swell a bit.
Unfortunately not all hurt that we experience goes away in that same manner. There are so many things in our life that can cause tremendous pain, and I don’t just mean physically.
Christians seem to take the most blows when it comes to hurt feelings, broken hearts, disappointments, and sorrow. A tender heart that bears the love of God is more susceptible to the “sting” of the enemy, and his poison.
Worst of all, that poison can remain for quite a while, eventually becoming something that festers and scars. The Devil loves nothing more than to attack us when we least expect it and create hurt and pain that seems hard to bear.
But, if we cling to the Lord and His word, we can overcome those hurts with this wonderful promise, that “…God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
That is typically a scripture that many refer to during times of loss, but it’s also a scripture that brings hope and comfort to those who live with a “hurt not unto death," although sometimes it may feel like it.
It is a misconception that a wasp will die after it stings you. In fact it is the exact opposite. A wasp can sting over and over again. Unlike a bumble bee, a wasp does not have a barbed stinger, so there is no death for the wasp, just another opportunity to sting again.
In comparison to the Devil and the Christian, that doesn't seem very encouraging, does it? We want to be free from the assaults of the Devil.
We don't want to experience the sting of the enemy or the poison that he inflicts upon us.
Don't be discouraged dear friend, for there is coming an appointed day when "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." (Romans 16:20)
Stand firm and be thankful that even though the devil “stings”, the Lord will save!
