A group of young adults from Germany went for a hiking holiday in one of Australia’s national parks. They hired a seasoned guide to lead them in an exciting journey through a breathtaking wilderness playground. The youthful tourists were determined to soak up every aspect of their adventure and they were thoroughly enjoying their time together.

After one long day of hiking in Australia’s summer heat, they gathered around a campfire on a beach by a canal. Even though night had fallen, the temperature was still very hot. They looked at the cool, refreshing waters of the canal, longing for a swim. The area was replete with signs warning potential swimmers of the dangers of entering those crocodile infested waters.

When they asked their guide if it was okay to go swimming, he told them, no, not in that particular area, but he knew of another spot a short distance away that was safer. The group followed him to the new location ignoring the warning signs along the way.

When they arrived, the guide scanned the surface of the water with the beam of his lantern, looking for signs of the reptiles. Crocodiles have very reflective eyes and they can easily be spotted in the darkness - at least when they are floating on the surface. Seeing no signs of the creatures, he determined it was safe and he was the first to enter the water. The others quickly followed.

The guide soon left to go back and get another group to join them. In the meantime, the others remained in the water enjoying some relief from the heat. Then one of the girls was suddenly yanked under the surface. One of the men felt something brush against his leg and he yelled for everyone to get out of the water.

The girl never resurfaced. One of the park rangers located her body quite a ways down the canal on the embankment, clamped in the jaws of a large crocodile.

The tourists had put their trust in a man and allowed him to lead them past the written warnings that lined the road to disaster.

There are many today, who, like those tourists, put their faith in man to lead them through their spiritual journey in life. God has posted His warnings to us in His word. They were written to us out of love and care for our souls. He knows what is lurking for us beneath the surface of our experiences in this world. He can see the dangers and the Scriptures in the holy Bible are designed to keep us safe – if we listen to Him and refuse to put our trust in fallible guides who choose to ignore God’s warnings.

The devil knows who he can influence to lead the innocent into his jaws. Read the Scriptures for yourself and heed those things the Lord has written for your protection. Check what you are hearing from other teachers with God’s word. Don’t put all your trust in man, trust God and His word above all others, and you will not become food for the crocodile.

Copyright 2017 by H. D. Shively

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