Spider Webs Through the Eyes of Faith.......

              This morning I saw this post: Thousands of Spiders Fall from the Skies of Brazil. Basically, the article talks about a phenomenon in which thousands of spiders were seen falling from the sky there. I have to say, I am NOT a fan of spiders... I appreciate that they do some good things for us, and that they are an important part of the ecological cycle, but I just want them to stay far away from ME! I don't instinctively kill every spider I come in contact with anymore... it now matters what size and kind it is, but most of all whether it is dangling over my head or not. I just can't stand the idea of spiders over my HEAD! The very thought of thousands of spiders falling from the skies is the stuff of my nightmares!

             This reminded me of an experience I had years ago. When I still lived in Fowler, one morning I needed to drive down the highway to West Lafayette, about 25 minutes drive. It was a foggy morning, but the sun was just beginning to burn off the mist. Shortly after I turned onto the highway, I became aware that there were literally THOUSANDS of spider webs all over the weeds along the sides of the four lane highway and also down the median....the sunlight was highlighting the dew as it laid upon the spiderwebs causing each one to glow with an eerie brightness. At first, I didn't think too much of it, other than it was gross... but as I continued the drive, the spider webs continued all the way along the highway for the full distance..... the realization of HOW MANY spiders made these webs began to give me the creeps. I literally shuddered at the thought. I looked at other vehicles on the highway and wondered if others saw the webs, too! It dawned on me that the cars on the other side of the highway probably couldn't see them because of the angle of the sun. So, those on the other side were driving along, oblivious to this massive invasion, while those on my side were seeing the reality of spiders everywhere.

             As I got closer to town, a metaphor began to form in my mind. I thought about how this was similar to having the opportunity of seeing into the spiritual realm around us. It is there, but we often take it for granted because we think much more about what we are able to see with our own eyes than what we could see with the eyes of faith. I thought about how most of the time we are all like those people who were driving on the other side of the road.... oblivious to the reality of what is truly surrounding us. What if, for a moment, we could see the rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world? What if we could see the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms? (Eph. 6:12) What if we could see the angels concerning you that He commands to guard you in all your ways? (Psa 91:11, MT 4:6, Luke 4:10) What kind of battles would we see?

             There is a story in the Old Testament of Elisha the prophet when King Aram came against Israel. The servant was fearful that they were doomed and he asked Elisha what they should do. "And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha." 2 Kings 6:17

              What was that like for that servant? How did it change his perception of what was to come in this battle? What if we could see this realm everyday.... how would it change what we do? How would we manage our day? Of course, that is not living by faith, that would be living by sight. When we exercise our faith, we believe that realm is being affected by our prayers and we believe that realm affects our daily lives. What would happen if we could walk, daily, in the truth of Psalm 27:1:

"The Lord is my light and my salvation—    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—    of whom shall I be afraid?"

                Spiders raining from the sky is a strange phenomenon (thankfully) that I hope never to see, but it is good to remember that there is a realm all around us that we cannot normally see, but is very much a part of our lives. Today, we can walk in the truth that God is for us. 

Under His Wing.....