The Spider and the Fly
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (I Peter 5:8)
Once upon a time there was a little fly who was pesky and curious about everything. His mother warned him: “Beward of the big spider who eats little flies.”
The little fly scoffed, “Ha! I’ve never seen a big spider. How do I know if there really is one?”
“See the web up there in the corner? He comes out of the rafters after dark to see if any little flies have been caught in his web. Then he eats them for supper.”
“Really?” asked the little fly, his eyes wide.
“Yes, answered his mother, “so stay away from that web in the corner.”
The little fly buzzed around the room playfully, and examined everything he found. But he couldn’t stop wondering about that web in the corner.
“What could be the harm in just looking?” he asked himself.
So he flew up near the corner where the web was stretched, and he carefully kept his distance while he took a look.
“That didn’t hurt me at all! I think I could fly a little closer and be able to see it better,” he thought.
So he flew by the web again and again, getting just a little closer each time.
Day after day the little fly buzzed around the room, always flying very close to the web. At first he was very careful, watching for the big spider to come out of his hole. But as the days went by, the little fly became more and more careless, making a game out of how close he could get to the web. He even began to wonder if maybe his mother had made up the story about the big spider, and maybe there was no such thing as a big spider who ate little flies for supper.
One day the little fly began to play his game, but the first time he buzzed by the web, he noticed a delicious smell. There on the web he saw a big, yummy drop of gooey, sticky, sweet stuff -- just the kind of treat that little flies love to eat.
“I’ve got to be careful not to touch the spider web. I don’t want that spider to eat me.” So he flew away, but the yummy smell kept drawing him back to the corner. He tried to fly close enough to reach the treat without touching the web, but he couldn’t. By this time he was so hungry for the delicious snack that he could hardly stand it.
He buzzed around the room a few more times wondering how he could get the wonderful treat. Each time he flew by it looked more and more inviting.
Finally, he decided. “I’ve never seen a big, black spider, and I go by the web every single day. Even if there is one, I could eat that yummy, sticky, sweet stuff and then fly away quickly if I saw him coming.”
He looked around carefully to be sure that his mother wasn’t watching, and then off he flew. His mouth was watering for the swwet treat, so he even forgot to be careful and look for the spider.
When he landed on the web, he thought, “This feels different than anything I’ve ever stood on.” He quickly forgot his worries, for the delicious smell reminded him why he had come. He gobbled up the treat, and for a few moments he was actually glad that he had disobeyed his mother. “Boy, she doesn’t know what she’s been missing! There is nothing to be afraid of.”
Just as he was enjoying the very last drop, he thought he felt the web begin to move and vibrate under him. He looked up to the corner, and for the first time ever, he saw the big black spider beginning to crawl out of his hiding place.
“Oh, no!” he gasped. “Mother was right. There really IS a big black spider!” He took off in a hurry, but right away he realized that he wasn’t getting anywhere. No matter how hard he buzzed his strong little wings, his feet were stuck fast to the web. With a worried glance, he looked up toward the corner where the big black spider was heading his way. He struggled and squirmed with all his might, but the more he fought, the worse he was stuck. His little wings got caught in the sticky web.
Now he couldn’t seem to remember how yummy the sticky sweet stuff had tasted. All he could think of was the big black spider that was coming closer and closer and CLOSER ... and it gobbled him up.
Boys and girls, the devil wants to gobble up our lives, and he uses things that look harmless and fun to try to trap us.
Maybe he will show you something you really like at the store to try to get you to steal it, or get you to lie to your parents and go someplace where they do not allow you to go.
Maybe he will have your friends try to talk you into smoking cigarettes or drinking beer, and make fun of you if you don’t.
We must be careful to listen to our preacher and our parents who warn us about sin, even when we don’t understand how we could get caught in the devil’s web. When the devil brings temptation, don’t forget about the spider and the fly.
Once upon a time there was a little fly who was pesky and curious about everything. His mother warned him: “Beward of the big spider who eats little flies.”
The little fly scoffed, “Ha! I’ve never seen a big spider. How do I know if there really is one?”
“See the web up there in the corner? He comes out of the rafters after dark to see if any little flies have been caught in his web. Then he eats them for supper.”
“Really?” asked the little fly, his eyes wide.
“Yes, answered his mother, “so stay away from that web in the corner.”
The little fly buzzed around the room playfully, and examined everything he found. But he couldn’t stop wondering about that web in the corner.
“What could be the harm in just looking?” he asked himself.
So he flew up near the corner where the web was stretched, and he carefully kept his distance while he took a look.
“That didn’t hurt me at all! I think I could fly a little closer and be able to see it better,” he thought.
So he flew by the web again and again, getting just a little closer each time.
Day after day the little fly buzzed around the room, always flying very close to the web. At first he was very careful, watching for the big spider to come out of his hole. But as the days went by, the little fly became more and more careless, making a game out of how close he could get to the web. He even began to wonder if maybe his mother had made up the story about the big spider, and maybe there was no such thing as a big spider who ate little flies for supper.
One day the little fly began to play his game, but the first time he buzzed by the web, he noticed a delicious smell. There on the web he saw a big, yummy drop of gooey, sticky, sweet stuff -- just the kind of treat that little flies love to eat.
“I’ve got to be careful not to touch the spider web. I don’t want that spider to eat me.” So he flew away, but the yummy smell kept drawing him back to the corner. He tried to fly close enough to reach the treat without touching the web, but he couldn’t. By this time he was so hungry for the delicious snack that he could hardly stand it.
He buzzed around the room a few more times wondering how he could get the wonderful treat. Each time he flew by it looked more and more inviting.
Finally, he decided. “I’ve never seen a big, black spider, and I go by the web every single day. Even if there is one, I could eat that yummy, sticky, sweet stuff and then fly away quickly if I saw him coming.”
He looked around carefully to be sure that his mother wasn’t watching, and then off he flew. His mouth was watering for the swwet treat, so he even forgot to be careful and look for the spider.
When he landed on the web, he thought, “This feels different than anything I’ve ever stood on.” He quickly forgot his worries, for the delicious smell reminded him why he had come. He gobbled up the treat, and for a few moments he was actually glad that he had disobeyed his mother. “Boy, she doesn’t know what she’s been missing! There is nothing to be afraid of.”
Just as he was enjoying the very last drop, he thought he felt the web begin to move and vibrate under him. He looked up to the corner, and for the first time ever, he saw the big black spider beginning to crawl out of his hiding place.
“Oh, no!” he gasped. “Mother was right. There really IS a big black spider!” He took off in a hurry, but right away he realized that he wasn’t getting anywhere. No matter how hard he buzzed his strong little wings, his feet were stuck fast to the web. With a worried glance, he looked up toward the corner where the big black spider was heading his way. He struggled and squirmed with all his might, but the more he fought, the worse he was stuck. His little wings got caught in the sticky web.
Now he couldn’t seem to remember how yummy the sticky sweet stuff had tasted. All he could think of was the big black spider that was coming closer and closer and CLOSER ... and it gobbled him up.
Boys and girls, the devil wants to gobble up our lives, and he uses things that look harmless and fun to try to trap us.
Maybe he will show you something you really like at the store to try to get you to steal it, or get you to lie to your parents and go someplace where they do not allow you to go.
Maybe he will have your friends try to talk you into smoking cigarettes or drinking beer, and make fun of you if you don’t.
We must be careful to listen to our preacher and our parents who warn us about sin, even when we don’t understand how we could get caught in the devil’s web. When the devil brings temptation, don’t forget about the spider and the fly.