In this day and age we have so many advances we should feel greatly Blessed. It is interesting that as Technology provides ways to heal the sick, feed the hungry and give us unheard of luxuries; we have lost much of our Wonder in God’s works.

     In times of dire need people often turn to the comfort and certainty of something bigger than us. When survival itself is marginal it seems easier for people to reach beyond themselves for the comfort of God. We like to feel that we are under someone’s protection.  When life gets comfortable, safe and we become too risk averse we repeat History in a big way. Here is a verse from the Old Testament that will illustrate.

     Malachi 1:6 “A son honors his father and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am the master, where is the respect?

     In Malachi’s time God asks where the Love and Devotion have gone. It is a time of great prosperity for the Jewish Tribes. They are not at war. They are not hungry.  The Misery of Exodus is long faded along with the solutions God provided to ease or eliminate those ordeals. The generations that fought for a place in the land of Canaan are long dead.

     These Descendents have a Home. They have all the physical needs of their time met. They have come to believe the thanks and accolades belong to their own efforts and works. Much like our self satisfied fog of today, they have gotten lazy in acknowledging where their Blessing flows from. Their sins are not big sins but their devotion burner has turned down many notches to a lukewarm of Apathy. They go through the motions without any Heart behind it. The meaning behind their sacrifices and devotion are colorless and dull.

     Did that description sound familiar? It should. The Developed World is living in unprecedented Prosperity. We leave Water running when not needed. We throw away tons of food each year for the average household. For the time being we have a pretty good handle on the diseases that used to kill whole Populations. I have heard a phrase that sums it up. “I Got Mine.”

     We argue over the benefit of vaccines that might cause side effects; while forgetting the horrible loss of life from what are called Childhood Diseases. They had made childhood a very tenuous time to fight, to survive. Until recently, except for immigrants from Countries where they do not vaccinate, it became rare to even see these diseases. There are Practicing Drs who have never seen any of them. The recent flair ups of these diseases have been the backlash of the easy life we now consider our due. Faith suffers when things are too cushy. Devotion turns to Apathy when “I Got Mine.”

     I have envisioned Satan as a worm sometimes. He is a tapeworm to be exact. It all starts with a small segment being ingested. It finds a nice stretch of intestine and digs in. It stays there growing longer by adding segments. It feeds unnoticed by the person it is attached to. It eats food that you eat. Silently the Tapeworm is stealing your nourishment. There are rarely any symptoms until it is quite large. Sometimes the first someone notices is segments in their shit. I even heard of a fellow that thought it was a string hanging out, and pulled. That got his attention sending him quickly to the Dr. Lucky for him there is a poison that kills the Tapeworm.

     Losing your faith can happen in a similar fashion. All it needs is a seed of Doubt to start it growing. Every adversity feeds this growing parasite. Each event by themselves are often little and inconsequential. The foothold that Satan gets must be discovered quickly to keep it from growing like the tapeworm. It takes turning the little stuff as well as the big stuff over to God. As long as people have Worshiped God, God has offered this support many times, we just think we can do it all ourselves. As a result we do not ask for help. We don’t ask for help for the small things. We are often heavily infested by the time we think to ask for help with the big stuff.

     Here is a verse that may help you visualize the problem in a more external way.  

     RGoT 97 Jesus said, “The World is like the woman who carried a sack of grain that sprang a leak. It was a leak she did not see. When she got home all the grain had run out and the sack was empty. Guard against The Thief and The Liar. You never know when they will come to poke a hole in your faith, leaving you empty without understanding how it happened.

     I would never advocate going back to a time of rampant plagues. I enjoy having safe food and clean water. I feel Blessed that my Brother’s kids will not have to go through the many illnesses I fought through just to survive as a child. They get immunized to prevent a repeat of my childhood. A big dose of Wonder at the works of God can immunize us against Satan’s infections.

     Malachi reminds us not take things we are blessed to have for granted. The Apathy that is so much a part of our lives reflects our comfort. A people who feel self sufficient will not ask for help. We do not feel our vote matters. We think we have no say in our governments. This is in spite of the Constitution calling for us to be a conscious people. The Constitution calls for our government to be in our control, “By the People and For the People.” If our Government is not working we throw the bums out and hire some new folks. We should hold our Representatives to account, because what they do is in our name. Apathy is a sure way to get a dictator.

     When things are going well, you must stay vigilant. That is when Satan will be the most active. If you rebuke Satan even in the petty things you will be protecting yourself from the small hole in your grain sack. By staying vigilant you check your sustenance of the Grain sack to repair the hole should one sneak up on you. The Gifts that God gives you are not for dribbling away for Satan to feed upon.

     Hard times seem to naturally draw people to appreciate God more. It is like the analogy of the child parent relationship though. If the only time you hug your parent is in adversity you have let the possible everyday joys fritter away. Hug God every day, not just when you want something. You are developing a relationship, not an Automatic Teller Machine, withdrawing only when you want something.

     I suggest an attitude of Wonder. The Wonder of a small child goes a very long way in building that relationship with God. Look for God’s Love manifested everywhere. Cultivate an attitude of gratefulness even if a small part of you does not think God had anything to do with your comfort. This is your immunization against the occasional tapeworm segment. When Evil enters your life take the time to recognize them as being sent to poke a hole in your faith.

God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions.

Angel Eliza