A recent trip found me wandering around the streets and lanes of the small, flourishing town of Chippenham, England, with its lively market. Nestled on the banks of the River Avon, tourists love to take a quick drive out of London and relax and enjoy part of the Cotswolds. Well, I suppose not all inhabitants of the city were lively 24-7, as we spotted this non-energetic pup taking his nap.
The brisk, May wind encouraged one to snuggle under a light jacket, but the historic buildings and shops brought delight to our eyeballs. The stone architecture with slate roofs, even though a bit crumbly in spots, just breathed the old country.
As we wandered along, hand crafted goodies reached out to the strolling visitor, encouraging one to stop, gaze, and perhaps weaken and buy a decorated mug, small troll, or a fragrant bag of lavender. Apparently even the filming of Harry Potter may have taken place in this area of rural Lacock — ‘Hogwarts’.
Suddenly, my eyes blinked twice, causing me to come to a screeching stop and back up. Grabbing my phone, I caught a picture that immediately triggered my mind to flip to Matthew 7:15. What caused this screeching of shoe leather on the rough sidewalk and frantic manipulation of the phone?
Five small, homemade creatures sat in a windowsill, just daring a stranger to walk by without noticing the image they represented. Four darling lambs of varied shades of wool, quietly shared the ledge with a much more dramatic wolf. Wearing a little lace skirt, his big eyes stared at me. This tourist just wanted to reach right through the glass and tuck the quintet into her hands. I was hooked. No, they were not for sale, and that is good, for I would have been tempted to fork over several British coins.
During the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, He warned his audience to beware of false prophets, referred to as wolves. These individuals or wolves go ‘undercover’ and pretend they are sheep. Of course, the wolf does not want to nibble clover with the source of wool but wants to have a lamb chop for dinner.
How true today! Satan, working through false prophets, is quite clever. Our wolf in the window is quite charming. Likewise, Satan can be rather enticing as he encourages us to step aside from putting God first in our lives.
Who comes first place in your life, as you allocate your time, talents, and finances each day? Could a sweet, enticing ‘wolf’ in sheep clothing be catching your eye and diverting your focus from the Savior? Are we sharing the love of God, and His grace and sacrifice of His son with others, or only concentrating on discussion of the latest sports or world affair details with friends and acquaintances?
Don’t be caught napping when the ‘wolf’ comes prowling.
Let’s Keep Our Eyes, Actions, and Heart Focused on God.
Kathryn Ransom 