Being Scared Straight

A fun hobby of mine used to be scaring my wife. I took great joy out of standing in the shadows and yelling “Boo!” when she rounded a corner. Her heart rate would go up, her voice would raise, her eyes would widen, and I would laugh. I considered it an all-around good time.

Then one day, things changed.

I heard her in the restroom, which meant the time was right for a scare. I sauntered down the hall with a smile on my face. I could tell she was about to leave the restroom when I hit the door with my hand, flinging open, and yelled “Boo!” with a boisterous roar!

It was a classic.

Then it happened. She turned to me with a look that was unfamiliar to me. She lunged at me and began flailing her arms and she pushed me hard.

Laughing, I fell back into the wall and heard a crack. I had fallen into the wall and busted a hole in the sheetrock. Oops.

My eyes widened.

She stopped.

We both began to laugh. But this was the day I was scared straight.

Not A BOO, but a ROAR!

In 1 Peter 5:8-11, the Apostle Peter describes a being who is looking for opportunities to scare us, to frighten us, to cause us to change our focus. He prowls about. He watches. He waits.

He ROARS!

He desires to scare you. He wants to devour you. He wants to send you into an anxiety-driven reality that spirals you into an abyss.

8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

1 Peter 5:8-9

The devil is a real adversary. His desire is to keep us from experiencing the joy that God’s mighty hand provides.

We may go through seasons of suffering. We may experience long bouts of hardship. We may suffer more than our neighbor. But God, under His mighty hand, will lift you up and exalt you, in His time (1 Peter 5:6).

The devil wants to distract you from this reality. The devil spends his energy roaring to draw your attention away from God’s providence.

He wants you to lose focus.

He wants you to be anxious.

The devil wants to devour you!

Stand firm! Be watchful. Be aware of the roaring lion. God will lift you up in due time. Do not grow weary.