Summary: "Wow! Look at that bear yawn!" exclaimed Cameron on their visit to the local zoo. "See all those teeth? I bet he could really hurt someone with them!" Dad smiled. "I'm sure he could," he agreed. "He's got sharp claws, too." A little later, Cameron pointed to a large tiger. "Imagine that guy sneaking up on you in the jungle!" he exclaimed as the tiger stared at them. His sister Olivia shivered. "I'd rather not," she said. On the way home, Cameron thought about the fierce animals they had seen. "Dad, which kind of animal do you think is the most dangerous?" he asked. "Well, I don't really know, but I guess I'll vote for the lion," replied Dad. "Or the grizzly bear," Olivia suggested. "Look!" exclaimed Cameron. "The guy that just came out of that bar can hardly walk! And there's a man sitting on the curb over there--and another one sprawled out right in the street. A policeman is talking to them." Dad nodded. "That's sad, isn't it?" he said. "You know, we wouldn't want to get too close to fierce animals like those we saw at the zoo, but you're looking at evidence of something even more dangerous than lions or bears or any of those other animals." "Things around here don't look very neat," murmured Olivia, "but there aren't any animals here, Dad." "Not the kind we saw at the zoo," Dad agreed, "but the Bible compares Satan to a roaring lion, and what we see here shows some of the damage he can do. More homes are broken and more people die due to man's sin than from all the animals put together." "So you're saying Satan is the most dangerous animal of all," said Cameron. "In a way," said Dad. "What we're observing here looks bad, but Satan also knows how to make things look good. Because of that, people often like to try what he offers. That's dangerous and often results in destroyed lives. We need to be alert and resist Satan no matter how good he makes bad things look." "Okay," said Cameron. "I'll remember that--and I'll remind Olivia, too." Olivia smiled. "We'll remind each other," she said. How About You? Would you be scared if you met a lion or bear? You should be much more frightened of books or movies with bad words and immoral actions. You should be afraid of the alcohol or drugs a friend might want you to try. And even of a so-called little white lie that seems so harmless. These are things Satan uses to try to destroy you and others. Be smart--stay as far away from sin as possible. Today's Key Verse: Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Today's Key Thought: Stay away from sin
