“Stop and think! Do the innocent die?
When have the upright been destroyed?
My experience shows that those who plant trouble
and cultivate evil will harvest the same. Job 4:7-8 NLT
Yesterday I was reminded of Madras Crabs, they are a species of mud crabs that are caught using traps and nets. They are then placed in buckets with no lids to be kept until eaten. The reason lids are not used is because the never escape. The reason is that they keep pulling one another back down into the bucket. Whenever one gets close to escaping, the others pull it back down in a cyclic manner.
Every time I hear about them I think of Jobs friends, or should I say “grace killers” as I like to call them. Although Job’s wife was in a way just as bad saying “curse God and die” at least she had a reason, because what Job lost so did she, with the exception of his health. But then again, the pain she must have gone through watching her husband suffer in every possible way a person can suffer. The most help they gave him was remaining silent for seven days and nights and showing their grief by wailing, tearing their clothes and throwing dust on their heads.
When we read about them we shake our heads wonder why they would ever do such a thing. When we really should be asking have I been a grace killer in someone’s life? Instead of encouraging them, we make them feel even worse. Our self-righteousness kicks in and we start focusing on what they could have done to get them here. And worse yet, we use Scripture! And tell them that God is not happy with them. not just their actions! They are struggling to keep going and we just keep pulling them back down into despair. Our words and actions are powerful and we need to remember what Jesus said, “Treat others as you would have them treat you”. Don’t be a Madras Crab, be a Meerkat instead. More about them tomorrow.
Leave a Reply