The Snapping Turtle

A snapping turtle is one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world.  A unique characteristic of this rather strange creature is the way it captures its prey – it doesn’t chase, it tempts the prey to come to it.  This cunning turtle lies motionless on the river bed with its mouth wide open.  To entice any passing prey, it wriggles its worm-like appendage on the end of its tongue.  Then when an unwary victim enters its mouth, the turtle’s sharp jaws snap tight.

 

 In life we are all presented with appealing opportunities, but how do we determine which is good or which is bad?  When a door opens suddenly, is it a door that God has opened, or is it the mouth of a snapping turtle complete with wriggling worm to tempt us in?  We live in the Devil’s world and he can entice us with very attractive opportunities which appeal equally to our moral or immoral side.  A fish that thinks it is beyond temptation is usually the easiest to catch.

God has given us two safeguards to keep us protected - His written word and His still small voice.  We should heed both before we advance.  If God’s word says ‘No’ obviously we should not proceed.  If we get a sense that something is not right, no matter how honorable the opportunity seems to be, we should move with caution and prayer (the road to hell is paved with good intentions).  If we rush in, ignoring God’s safeguards, we should not be surprised when everything goes dark with a sudden SNAP. (Genesis 3: 1-6)