Ravenous Predator

March  2021

“Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.”

Ezekiel 22:27

On the long gravel road traveling by bus toward Alaska’s Mount Denali, 20,310 feet above sea level in Denali National Park, we were thrilled to watch two grizzly bears in the valley just a few hundred yards below us. And we got to see a lynx in the wild, another unexpected blessing. But later I was set back by an unexpected, gruesome picture as I looked through a beautiful, full color National Park photo booklet. It was a vivid color photograph capturing ravenous wolves and a grizzly bear fighting over a moose carcass in a river, a struggle for survival rarely witnessed by humans. It is a vivid picture of Satan, the evil, ravenous predator in our lives. In the context of Jerusalem’s sinful prophets, priests and princes, her officials are likened to ravenous wolves biting and tearing flesh from their prey. (Ezekiel 22:27) God, the Creator and Sustainer of life, can use us to witness for Christ to unbelievers, hopefully sparing them from the Devil’s evil grasp—eternal death in the Lake of Fire, as we go, sent out like lambs among wolves. Luke 10:3

Satan leaves us deeply wounded and scarred from many sins. He seeks to steal, kill, destroy and devour. His insidious attacks can leave us devastated. And often it seems like our sinful pride is one of the ravenous predator Satan’s default ways to prey upon our lives. I succumbed to this again. In the February Jesus Joy blog, I submitted to editor Frank Ballesteri, the following words:

            “If we trust God as He scatters us, with boots on the ground,…”

After Frank’s edits and upload, it read as follows:

            “If we trust God as He scatters His seed through us, His “boots on the ground,…”

Notice the subtle, but not so subtle difference—my evil, spiritual pride. Heavenly Father, please discipline me, punish me if necessary, show me any offensive way within me, teach me to do your will, humble me, do not allow me to become conceited.

Little did I know what Satanic peril laid ahead for me as my personal and spiritual pride got in the way again when I was heading home on a trail walk. I walked near two young boys playing football, Sheamus (9 years old) and Bryson (maybe 10 or older), [both boys being in the critical developmental age when they are most likely to embrace the gospel]. They were very happy to receive a gospel handout after I told them Jesus loved them greatly. Both of them put God’s Word in their pockets after looking at it. Although I had already introduced myself, Sheamus even asked my name in a very friendly manner. I was joyfully blessed to meet them—until the next day when my Christian neighbor and friend Carole sent me an email entitled, Need to talk, an unusual request, for which I had no clue, but which peaked my curiosity. “You’re a famous person,” were the first words she uttered after I walked down to her and her husband Terry’s house to talk. She told me that she saw an entry on the local neighborhood digital chat room, Nextdoor, entitled Suspicious Man Approaching Kids at the Knolls Clubhouse, generating over 20 reactions from area residents. I was surprised and saddened, for numerous reasons. I was reported to the police by Sheamus’ Mother as being a suspicious stranger talking to the boys. So now I was the subject of a local police manhunt, unbeknownst to me. My friend Carole sacrificially went online to defend me, because she knew from the description it was me (Red & Black Coat with furry hood, Bible verses, et. al.), for which I am deeply thankful. Had I been blindsided with these developments; it could have been devastating to me. I know I can never be covered enough with prayer. I will now have to be more vigilant regarding proclaiming Jesus to young people, as Terry and Carole explained to me that these days there is a lack of trust among parents—they are suspicious and nervous, especially regarding strangers. Carole and my wife, Barbie, both encouraged me to call the family immediately, which I am thankful I did. I apologized to the father, Steve, for which he was very gracious and thankful, allowing us to have an open and friendly telephone conversation, ending on a high note. Steve also told me that at school, the kids receive Stranger Danger training. I mailed them an apology card, and I now pray for them.

God always has things to teach me, and I’m sure this is no exception. At the same time, I am deeply conflicted. I live in the least-Churched state in the country, with high teenage suicide rates. Public schools and many parents teach their children worldly doctrine, but not Godly doctrine, so when kids are in crisis they often have nowhere to turn if they don’t understand that their only true hope and identity is in Christ. They desperately need Jesus. Even though I had not committed a crime, I had upset the parents, for which I was deeply sorrowful. This was very humbling to me, and it leaves me with more questions than answers. I need to doubly ensure when I am near young children with whom I am unfamiliar, that I am fully prayed up and led by the Holy Spirit, since it is such a tough, evil world. Yes, it felt like the predator Satan won a battle over me. However, I can claim victory as an overcomer in Jesus, because I saw how God provided and protected me in my feeble witness.

The ravenous Satan intends to kill our witness. A pastor friend told me of a man whose wife was concerned about his drinking problem. As it turned out the man invited my pastor friend to go kayak fishing with him. The Pastor wanted to be led by the Holy Spirit and waited for an opportunity. When the timing seemed right to address this delicate subject, he asked permission to talk about something. The man replied, “As long as you don’t proselytize and I don’t want you talking to my wife about my drinking.” With the man’s response my friend replied, “Do you think it’s wrong to care about somebody?” They have an ongoing relationship and the pastor is seeing God softening the man’s heart, even as Satan preys on this man’s life. I’m thankful for this story because it helps me better understand and prepare to boldly and proactively reach out in certain fragile contexts, especially when we desire to obey Christ’s call, taking calculated risks for the Gospel. Perhaps this story might be helpful to you as God leads. Do you think it’s wrong to care about somebody? Satan does.

In last month’s Jesus Joy blog, I mentioned Samantha, the person administering my COVID-19 test, and our brief encounter. Never in a million years did I ever expect to see her again, but a few weeks later my wife’s caregiver was exposed to COVID, so we both had to get tested. A different caregiver drove us both to the testing site. I sat in the back and prepared as the lady administered my test through the back window of the car. I told her my name and asked hers. She said Samantha! I asked if she was the same Samantha who tested me before, when I gave her the red heart/cross gospel handout. She smiled and said yes. I asked if she had a chance to take a peek at it, and she quickly affirmed that she had. At that moment I could tell she smiled behind her mask, and her eyes radiated joy as we unexpectedly reconnected, a mysterious gift from God to me because of my prayer burden for her. Jesus, even if she is not yet in your flock, please gather her in your arms as a lamb, and carry her close to your heart until she enters the sheepfold, so Satan can’t destroy her eternally. It is truly amazing what God can do with a brief encounter, and I am truly thankful to be part of His providential plan.

I used to hate two-a-day high school football practices in the August heat and humidity of oppressive Midwest summers. But practice was essential in order to be at our best on game day. In like manner, I hate it when Satan plays into my pride, convincing me I don’t need to practice my testimony to unbelievers. I don’t want to practice my brief witness, so I can be prepared to tell people what Jesus did in my life, especially when I only have a minute with people God shows me. [https://www.oasisworldministries.org/one-minute-witness] However, when I don’t practice, it compromises my witness when God opens a door of ministry—if I don’t practice, I don’t proclaim. A friend says if he practices, he witnesses—if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. Fortunately and thankfully we can experience victory as overcomers in Christ, freedom from the bondage of the Satan, the evil, ravenous predator in our lives. And if God grants us more than a minute with an unbeliever, we are greatly blessed, whether it’s an hour, day, week, month, year or lifetime.

Satan often tempts me not to share the gospel. While getting ready to head out onto a trail for a walk, I prepared gospel handouts so they would be readily accessible from my coat. I saw several people, but most from a distance where it was not feasible to connect with them. I passed an elderly gentleman using a walking stick, greeting him from a short distance away but choosing not to engage him in conversation, and pondering his eternal destiny. About a half hour later as I headed home, we approached each other again from opposite directions. I knew the right thing to do would be to offer him the gospel, but I was tempted not to “bother” him. As we passed each other, he was on one side of a large shrub and I was on the other. It was tempting to just press on without connecting with Clark. I continued on—but only for a few more yards. I knew the right thing to do was to go back and give him God’s Word. And I wondered about whether he might spend eternity in heaven or hell. Not knowing, I turned around, approached him from behind and said, “Excuse me sir—may I give you some good news?” I gave him the red heart/cross gospel handout, which he willingly received. I told him it was Bible verses. He stared at it, smiled, and thanked me as we both departed our separate ways. I was greatly blessed by God. Thankfully, He enabled me to go back more readily than I have in the past when I was initially disobedient. I’m praying for Clark’s salvation. On another walk on the trail, Rex received God’s Word after saying, “I haven’t been to Church in a long time.” [neither Zoom nor in person] Another man named Kurt joyfully received God’s Holy Word, and an open space construction worker willingly received a gospel handout as he left for the weekend. I spoke with two ladies, Anne and Nancy who both attend a Jehovah’s Witnesses Church. Anne, who made a comment about Protestants coming up with their own doctrine, received God’s Word, but Nancy chose not to receive. I just tried to be kind and loving, not engaging in a theological debate, although it was clear to all of us that our answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” was different for me than it was for them. I pray that Anne and Nancy will choose Jesus, instead of a counterfeit gospel, so Satan doesn’t tear them apart like flesh.

The sinister Satan is always looking for an opportune time to inflict his pernicious destruction upon our lives. I sensed his evil work as I asked Brett in a nearby grocery store where I often shop if he would help me find a specific brand of coffee substitute for my wife. He was unable to help. I thanked him for trying and asked if I could bless him with good news [offering him a red heart/cross graphic gospel handout]. But, he said, “I don’t want one.” Maybe I offended him, if he previously saw the red heart/cross gospel handout in the men’s restroom, maybe Satan blinded his eyes and heart. Perhaps I will never know exactly why, because sadly the roots of rejection are infinite. [Credit: Consultant Bill Corey]. I called another grocery store and spoke with three ladies, one of whom confirmed that they had the product, so I drove over to purchase it. I met one of those ladies, named Ellen, and offered her a gospel handout, thanking her for her help and smile [behind the mask]. “How do you know I’m not frowning at you,” she asked. “Because of your joyful squint,” I responded as she accepted God’s Word and we both went away laughing. I told that story to Christie, a lady shopping with her small son. As she laughed, her son unexpectedly said, “We have a dog!” As a joke, I started looking for it in their cart, but then his Mother reached into a small cloth pouch hanging around her neck and pulled out a tiny light brown pug dog, which surprised me. “He peas on the floor,” her son exclaimed! Christie kindly thanked me for the Bible verses I gave her. While in the store a man named Joe accidentally tried to put his produce into my grocery cart, as we both laughed. I hoped to connect with him with some gospel verses, but it was not to be. About a minute later we crossed paths again as I thanked him for his great sense of humor and offered him a gospel handout, for which he thanked me. And later at home, while I paid a bill by phone, I sneezed and Stacey said, “Bless you.” I asked her if that was her that sneezed, and she laughed. When I told her that Jesus loved her greatly, she said, “Thank you—I needed to hear that.” If I don’t get in God’s way, I frequently find that a cheerful heart, which Satan hates, can help disarm people’s natural defenses, bless them, help soften their heart, and perhaps even help bring healing at some level and in some sense. (Proverbs 17:22)

As I entered the trail to go for a walk, I met Nor, who was enjoying her young child exploring the beauty of the greenbelt. She was kind enough to be thankful for receiving a gospel handout. As I continued walking I approached a man who turned out to be a friend and neighbor, Mark, who was depressed and suicidal over being out of work for over a year, and how it had been so devastating to his whole family. It was clear that God had a different idea for this encounter, as we talked and shared, and I listened how Satan tried to steal his life. At about this same time, Satan tried to steal my joy in a very clever, devious manner, along with my yielding to the temptation of worldly reliance. I had been concerned that in order to give generously, I needed to earn a good return on my retirement account. But soon I became discontented as I began focusing more on material wealth instead of spiritual health, with God as my provider. Hopefully, I can relearn obedience through suffering, again! As vicious as the ravenous Satan is, I believe he can only steal what God allows. In a newsletter from a missionary friend, for example, as Satan attempts to destroy Muslims, he can’t stop their dreams about a man in white with light around Him. “Everywhere He touched me, I became clean,” Hanif said. “Then He told me something I never thought I would ever hear. He said that my sins are forgiven.” Choking back his tears, Hanif then declared, “I know that this man was Jesus.” [Credit: Frontiers Winter Update 2021]

Recently I was assigned as a mentor for Brandon, a high school freshman starting Confirmation class, for which I felt blessed as God uses me for His Kingdom work. I sensed in my spirit a burden from Satan regarding doubts about whether our first meeting would actually take place, and how things might go once we began meeting. I prayed long and hard in the weeks leading up to this time. Two days out, things began to get highly convoluted, involving COVID, school dismissals, rides, ambiguous responses, sports practice time changes, emails from parents, et. al. It became a little overwhelming and I started to think about the magnitude of possible permutations of events, almost incalculable, but of course nothing God can’t handle. In my mind I pictured the mega powerful tech giant cloud servers, some the size of several football fields combined, capable of trillions of rapid quantum computing algorithmic computations. Suddenly, I started laughing about how minuscule this capability is compared to the power of our God—I could not stop laughing. In my chair I bowed over the computer in an uncontrollable belly laugh, deep hilarious God laughter, I believe prompted by the Holy Spirit! That was just a glimpse to me of how infinitely majestic and powerful God is—His perfect love for us on the cross defeating death’s ravenous predator, the Devil. Such a great victory awaits those who choose life in Jesus, as we tell them about Him.

I was plagued with butterflies in my stomach, nervous as the time of meeting with Brandon drew near. I thoroughly studied the lesson handout he had been taught in his first Confirmation class, which we were to review. I had to drive for over half an hour, then awaited his arrival as his Mother was to drop him off, giving us all a chance to meet each other. As I waited at the dine-in restaurant, I wondered what I would do if they didn’t show up or were very late. But they arrived on time and I discovered that Brandon’s parents went to college in the same state as I did, so we had lots in common. As Brandon and I connected together, I discovered that he was a refreshingly delightful young man, very bright, very different than I expected from his email picture [he used a dramatic photo for fun, but it wasn’t of him!] and his emails. He was even studying theology in his Christian high school, so we were able to dig deep into the greatness of God, as I opened in prayer and he closed in prayer. What a first meeting blessing it was. However, due to his highly unpredictable schedule, he brought up the subject at the end a couple times about whether I would be open to meeting by Zoom, which takes away a lot of the benefit of an in-person visit and relationship development. I hate this. I hate my sin. I hate the fact that I take on these burdens as my own, when Jesus granted me freedom from bondage. His yoke is easy and His burdens are light. This is another example of my daily battle not knowing what to do. But the Bible says, “We don’t know what to do but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12) I need to be totally dependent upon God, walking by faith and not by sight, one with Him in Spirit. I need to grow deeper in my faith, trusting in the Holy One, and claiming victory over the ravenous predator, Satan, the father of lies.

The next day after I met with Brandon, I felt convicted to attend a regional denominational meeting of pastors, especially hoping I could connect with the people I needed to ask for guidance in addressing the question of the Zoom meeting issue Brandon brought up. “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24, 25) I was so blessed at the meeting as God showed me all the people with whom to fellowship, be encouraged, pray with and for, and get answers. Even though I felt under great pressure, our Pastor encouraged us all to stop worrying about what he called in Greek, the thlipsis [persecution, affliction, distress, tribulation] of life. The Apostle Paul spoke of this great pressure, in the context of God’s comfort, as he relied on God and was delivered from Satan’s deadly peril, helped by prayer. (2 Corinthians 1:8-11) [Paraphrased Credit: Rev. Dr. Brad Strait] And after Brandon and his family went on vacation, I began to wonder if and when we would meet again, so as to help keep him current in his Confirmation studies. God came through again and again, defeating Satan’s evil desires, as he continuously seeks to destroy us.

Satan would even like to destroy the philosopher, who asks the fundamental question, “Why is there not nothing?” The answer is that “In the beginning was the Word,…” (John 1:1) [Paraphrased Credit: Bruce Milne, The Message of John, pgs. 32, 33] And Satan, the ravenous predator, wants to destroy you and me. Thankfully, Jesus defeated Satan on the cross through His shed blood, saving us from sin, hell and death and to eternal life, if we receive the gift of God in Christ Jesus. Satan wants to take what is alive and make it dead—God does just the opposite.

The ravenous predator Satan is so evil, he always wants the worst for us. One Sunday a lay pastor was preaching and a question he asked was, “What is the worst thing you have ever done?” “The worst thing I’ve ever done is not tell somebody about Jesus,” my wife said. We never know what God might do in someone’s life when we obediently proclaim Jesus. A Christian man was led by God to carry and wave a simple sign that read, “JOY” in large letters, on his daily walks. One day a woman pulled over in her car, rolled down her window and yelled over to him, “My son committed suicide a few months ago and your JOY sign has given me hope.” [Credit: Arthur Warner, Naples Daily News, January 16, 2021, pg. 4A] Even though Satan kills people, he can’t kill our hope in Jesus—living hope, living Word.

Jesus Joy Blessings,
David Melek