Enemies!

December 11th, 2021| Topic: RaMbLeS | 4

The other day, a 60-year-old Australian guy went fishing on his property in Cape York Peninsula, far north of the continent. He found a nice spot by a river, a bull was grazing there. He shooed it away. He began casting.

That was when the crocodile struck!

The good news first, from Matt Brien of the Queensland state environment department:

There was a struggle and he fortunately escaped the grip of a four to four-and-a-half-metre [almost 15-foot] crocodile. The odds of doing that are about zero.”

He saw the humongous beast seconds before it lunged at him, but it knocked him over. Desperate, he grabbed on to the branch of a mangrove tree in a frantic attempt to stay out of the river as the crocodile’s jaws wrapped around his boots. But he quickly lost the tug-of-war and was pulled in.

As he was dragged into the river, he managed to retrieve his knife from his belt and, a frenzy, stabbed the crocodile in its head over and over and over again. Finally, the croc let go.

The man scrambled up the bank and was hospitalized, where he is stable and recovering a week later. He was “lucky to be alive,” said his healthcare workers.

Brien:

It appears that the crocodile was targeting the bull or the cow at the time, and he’s just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s an absolutely harrowing experience. He won’t forget that in a long time.”

The “salties,” which can grow to over 20 feet long and weigh more than a ton, are a common feature of the vast continent’s tropical north—“croc country”: the swamps, rivers and estuaries across northern Australia that are home to one of the biggest and predators in the world. Along with their increase in numbers have come an increase in attacks on humans in recent years. Thankfully, fatalities are rare.

But an escape from a salty, using only a pocketknife, is even more rare!

Deadly enemies. We have them, too.

You see, God’s Grand Plan for the cosmos is to align and harmonize all things in Christ.

… the consummation of all things in Christ—
the things in the heavens and the things on the earth in Him.
Ephesians 1:10

And into this plan, we, his people have been co-opted, as he chose us, predestined us, engraced us, redeemed us ….

Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, in the heavenlies, in Christ,
because He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.
Ephesians 1:3–4

And, if we are part of Team God, we have a target on our backs, for there are anti-God entities unhappy with God’s Grand Plan. Yup, they’re after us, and there’s reason for fear.

But not to worry: we are better armed, than with just a pocketknife.

… the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe …
which [power] He worked in Christ, … [who is] far above
every rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, …
and He [God] put all things in subjection under His [Christ’s] feet,
and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
which is His body.
Ephesians 1:19–23

Well, if all those evil powers are under Christ’s feet, and we are part of Christ’s body, then those inimical and vile agents are under our feet as well.

Good news. You can put that pocketknife away. We are the body of Christ!

SOURCE:
New Delhi Television