GOD AND THE SPIDER

During World War II, a US Marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific
island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire,
he had lost touch with his comrades.

Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction.
Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small
caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although
safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for
him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he
would be killed.

As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your will, please protect me.
Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen."

After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close.
He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this
one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his
cave.

As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the
spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave.

"Hah, he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent
me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."

As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and
could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he
got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after
glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he
realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if
no one had entered for quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the young
man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick
wall."

We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget
the victories that God would work in our lives, sometimes in the most
surprising ways. As the great leader, Nehemiah, reminded the people of
Israel when they faced the task of rebuilding Jerusalem, "In God we will
have success!" [Nehemiah 2:20]

Remember: Whatever is happening in your life, with God, a mere spider's
web can become a brick wall of protection. Believe He is with you always.
Just speak His name through Jesus His son, and you will see His great
power and love for you.

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