How to Protect Your Child From Predators
While the herds leisurely eat their way across the luscious plains, little do they know that ravenous lions hide in anticipation among the tall vegetation close by, looking forward to the opportunity to prey upon them.
In preparation, these send the oldest members of the pride away from the rest of the hunting pack. These older ones disappear in the thicket right across from where the rest of their powerful and terrifying pack wait and watch.
As the herd meanders into this area secretly fenced in by the lions, the old ones roar mightily. At the fright of the roaring, the herd panics!
Blinded by terror, they race away from the apparent source of peril.
But as they dash in a frenzy, they recklessly race exactly right to where the other lions hungrily await in the high grass for their feast to arrive.
No doubt lions are very skilled predators. But, no, this is not a piece crafted to help you protect your children from hungry lions. So, why are we talking about lions, then?
If you would, please read with me what we find recorded here at 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.”
Yes, like a fearsome lion on the prowl, Satan the Devil, together with his demons, works tirelessly to prey upon all but especially the most vulnerable of us, our children. But how?
Knowing their time is fast slipping away, Satan and his cohorts do all they are capable of to corrupt and eradicate the human race. They carefully choose egotistical, unscrupulous men and women to manipulate our vulnerabilities and sinful impulses via TV, magazines, advertising, celebrities, politicians, social activists and even gut-busting Youtubers.
To safeguard ourselves and our children from these constant threats we all must utterly detest what is evil. (Matthew 24:12; Revelation 12:12)
Our loving Creator prompts —
“O you lovers of Jehovah, hate what is bad.” -Psalm 97:10
“Abhor what is wicked.” -Romans 12:9
As such, our attitude as well as our children’s attitude towards evil must mirror that of the the Psalmist who was inspired to exclaim:
“I have hated every false path. Falsehood I have hated, and I do keep detesting it.” (Psalms 119: 104, 163)
Now, considering we are born sinners, our predisposition is towards evil. So, unless we are now passionately against evil, we may well be won over by it. (Psalms 51:5; Genesis 8:21; Romans 7:14–25) This is why it is never enough to only love what is good; we need to also hate what is bad.
Christ’s Perfect Example
Jesus Christ ‘loved righteousness and hated wickedness.’ (Psalms 45:7; Hebrews 1:9) As our model, we too must do the same if we hope to survive beyond this evil system of things’ fast approaching catastrophic end.
Make no mistake, there is absolutely no neutral middle ground of indifference for Jesus plainly declared—
“He that is not on my side is against me.” (Matthew 12:30)
Christ energetically and uncompromisingly took his stand as one utterly disgusted by what was evil. If you find yourself not with him in an identical loathing of the immoral you are against him as one who loves evil.
Each passing day makes it ever more unmistakable that we live during “critical times hard to deal with,” where ‘because of the increase of lawlessness the love of the greater number has cooled off.’ — 2 Timothy 3:1
So now is not the time to be meandering lazily about this world, lulled into a false sense of comfort and security. No. We must ‘be industrious, not lazy and aglow with the spirit.’ (Romans 12:11) But it all starts with loving what is good yet hating what is evil.
Only in this way can we hope to join the millions who will survive the end of Satan’s wicked system of things to live for all eternity in true peace and tranquility in the marvelous new world Jehovah God has promised.
