Mr. Rabbit wanted to cross the river.  But, of course, rabbits
do not swim.

So, Mr. Rabbit asked Mr. Frog if he would take him across the river.

“I would be happy to,” said Mr. Frog, “but you are too heavy. 
I would sink and we both would drown.”

So, Mr. Rabbit asked Mr. Fish to take him across the river.

Mr. Fish said, “I’m a fish.  I swim under water.  If I were
to take you across the river, you would drown.”

About that time, Mr. Alligator swam up.  “I’ll suppose I could
take you across the river.  I can swim on the top of the water, and
I’m large enough to carry us both across.”

“Yeah, but you’re an alligator,” replied Mr. Rabbit.  “You’ll
eat me.”

“Oh, no!” exclaimed Mr. Alligator. “I won’t eat you.  I’ve already
had lunch today, and besides that I don’t particularly care for rabbit.”

“Well.  Alright,” decided Mr. Rabbit.

So, Mr. Rabbit hopped on Mr. Alligator’s back.  He decided to stay
close to his tail, and away from him mouth - just in case.

But, as they began to get farther and father out into the river, Mr.
Alligator keep dropping his tail deeper and deeper.

Eventually, Mr. Rabbit found himself sitting right over Mr. Alligator’s
nose about half way across the river.

“Why do you keep going deeper?” asked Mr. Rabbit.

“So I could get you near my mouth where it would be easier to eat you,”
replied the sly alligator.

“But, I thought you said you weren’t going to eat me; that you had
already eaten; and you didn’t like rabbit,” questioned the excited rabbit.

“Yes,” said Mr. Alligator in his eerie sounding voice, “But, you knew
what I was before you ever climbed on.”

Isn’t that how Satan is with us.  Like he did in the Garden (Genesis
3), he lies, tricks, and tempts us into thinking that we are alright playing
with sin.  Yet, before we realize it, we are right in the middle of
it, and Satan is there to consume us.

THE BIBLE SAYS, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour”
(1 Peter 5:8).

-and-

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand
against the wiles (tricks) of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

Are you letting Satan get just a little too close? God tells us to “resist”
him (James 4:7), not play sin like the Wheel of Fortune - see how close
you can get without going over.  Satan, like Mr. Alligator is tricky. 
His is your ADVERSARY - your ENEMY.  And he is, indeed, “seeking whom
he may devour.”  Make sure he doesn’t devour you in sin, guilt, and
a life apart from God.

Copyright © 2001-James C. Guy – All rights reserved.

*Permission granted to reprint for church or ministry use in free material
(i.e. church bulletins, classes, sermons, etc.)