There’s a white cat with splashes of black on it that hangs around in our front yard in the summers looking to get itself a bird. We have several feeders and lots of birds. I saw the cat this morning. Last summer I told Diane I wanted to borrow someone’s BB gun. She would not let me. I’d like to teach that cat a lesson. The truth is, I could shoot a cat with a BB gun, but I do throw rocks toward it to scare it away. The “lesson” I would teach it about hanging around our feeders would not be for the benefit of the cat, but for my benefit.
This morning reading 1 Timothy, verse 19 talks about being careful to cling to your faith and not to purposely violate what you know is God’s will. It says your faith will be shipwrecked. Then Paul says, “Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples (of people who have). I threw them out and handed them over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme God.“
I had never thought about Satan teaching us anything good. I always thought of him working to destroy us. It is interesting to think about him being a teacher that will help us return to God. That would not be his intention, but it is often the result. Sometimes people have to hit “rock bottom” before they will turn to, or back to, Jesus. And who took them to rock bottom? I would say Satan.
My prayer this morning after reading that was that I wanted God’s Holy Spirit as my teacher. He teaches me for my good. Sometimes it is difficult, but it is always for my good. Satan can also teach you, but any good that comes from Satan’s teaching is unintended, and much more painful…. like a BB to the behind.
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