MR WEAVER FISH
1. Introduction:
On a mission trip to Kosova this summer I had a very nasty encounter with a weaver fish. This innocent looking fish lurks in the sand craftily leaving just its dark dorsal fins showing and anyone unlucky enough to step on one can be in serious trouble. The spines stick into the flesh and a painful swelling process begins inflicting intense pain. In fact the most excruciating pain is all you know about your encounter with this spiny little brute. The weaver fish is to be avoided at all costs I can assure you, but it is so difficult to spot as they bury themselves into the sand leaving only their poisonous spines protruding. The after effects are most unpleasant believe you me! I will spare you the details of the gruesome effects on the digestive system but suffice to say the pain was unbelievable.
Now considering we were about God’s business, helping to repair a poor Kosavan widow’s home, it seemed a very spiteful attack by this evil creature ~ undercover, underfoot and very underhand. Yet in spite of the all nasty symptoms I strangely considered myself worthy to suffer for the Name just like the early disciples!
2. Help ~ I’ am Under Attack!
This attack is typical of the opposition, trouble and in your face conflict that we all have to face. Even Jesus was not free from conflict in His ministry and unfortunately nor are we. Who hasn’t found themselves being attacked suddenly, very underhandedly without warning often from someone who has just been waiting for an opportunity to strike out at us, or perhaps worse still a vicious anonymous attack?
Well after Mr Weaver fish had done his worse I needed a friend to take a look, pull out the venomous spine and administer medication. I also needed rehydration to combat the after affects, feeling so ill and not able to keep any food down. It’s no different when some nasty underhand conflict or trouble has launched a surprise attack on you attempting to bring you to your knees and destroy you. We need friends to help us up, to pray and keep us covered from the missiles the enemy of our souls is firing at us. In addition to putting and keeping the full armour of God on as described in Ephesians Chapter 6 we need to keep feeding on the Word of God and His promise that He will rescue us from every evil attack and bring us home safely to His heavenly kingdom (see 2 Timothy 4:18 ~ the very verse the Lord put on Julie’s heart to pray for me, completely unaware of the circumstances at the time).
3. A Life Full of Conflict and Trouble
Childhood throughout Adulthood
All my life I have encountered conflict, troubles and opposition. Even from my early childhood with a brutal father who never showed me any love and who in fact seemed to be hell bent on physically abusing me for no reason. Through out my various careers I have been on the receiving end of professional jealously and sheer hatred has all too often reared it’s ugly head ~ just like that nasty fish. Yet God has been there in the darkest of times; a beloved aunt who took me into her home and looked after me, protecting me from my father’s brutality. Colleagues and dear and precious friends have helped and continued to believe in me when I have been treated unfairly, falsely accused or sadly misunderstood.
Military Experience
One experience always reminds me of the need for forgiveness and courage when faced with trouble and conflict. When carrying out a military operation in Northern Ireland we terrified one house owner as we broke into her house to carry out a search. I was astounded to be offered some fruit as a peace offering by the very same woman days later even though we had trashed her home and frightened her to death. The human hand of kindness has persistently been there to pull me up out of the mire.
Church
And where can I begin to talk about conflict and opposition in the Church! No wonder someone who wanted to change the layout of the church moved the organ inch by inch each week in the hope no one would notice! On speaking at a church that shall remain nameless my offer to take an accompanying worship group so offended the resident organist the instrument was locked on arrival, no keys could be found and I never got the pleasure to meet him! I have since found it best to comply with the “House Rules” as Jackie Pullinger so quaintly put it! I am more than happy for the format of the service to follow traditional customs ~ it’s the getting out the message of the gospel that counts!
And then there’s me!
Maybe some of the conflict and trouble has to be put down to my personality and way of dealing with situations; being a perfectionist and speaking my mind have not always led to a trouble and care free existence! “God’s little Rottweiler” as my wife Julie calls me tellingly reveals that I am not one to suffer fools gladly, and will not hold back when something needs to be said. Yet maybe after some years of maturity under my belt I would do some things differently. I may not have chosen to confront the Nun who taught prisoners attending a chapel service the mantra like “Jesus” prayer ~ at the time in my younger Christian days it seemed subversive and dangerous. Now with more compassion and a softened heart maybe it was full of meaning and personal devotion for her and at the worse a little pointless for prisoners to be taught it. I’m not too sure when being extremely tired and fatigued at one of those rather endless and boring church meetings we are so often compelled to attend I would now reply so pointedly “What do you really know about me” to a casual enquiry asking how I was! After all they were just trying to make polite conversation.
Some conflict can be avoided by not being quite so confrontational as Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”. I was taught an important lesson early on in my Christian walk when my pastor quietened a very noisy group of prisoners at a evangelistic service with a quiet and loving approach ~ my desire to just angrily shut them up would have been more inflammatory!
4. The Rock ~ The Gospel
There is a certainty in this life that nothing is certain! Trouble can come so unexpectedly; circumstances can change dramatically overnight, with one phone call or a knock on the door. The only sure foundation you can count on is Jesus. The wise man built his house on the rock and I can only sincerely advise you to do the same. Everything else is temporary, just passing by, fragile and weak ~ rather like that house built on sand that Jesus spoke of in His parable (see Matthew 7:24~27). Unlike the house that did not fall, “because it had its foundation on the rock” and could not be shaken by the torrent, the house built on sand “fell with a great crash”.
Make sure that Jesus is your rock as anything else is not going to hold you up during the storms that will hit you and all you have and love so dearly. An African who lost everyone and everything in a horrendously violent civil war said Jesus was all that he had left, and He had found Jesus was all he needed.
If you have Jesus you can know that He will never leave or forsake you, His strong arms will carry you through the darkest and stormy night.
5. Down But Not Out!
Paul could say he was “hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4: 8~9). I have never experienced such awful pain as that little weaver fish inflicted on me, but I was still able to keep on going. The roof of the widow’s house was repaired, a pen made to house two goats purchased for her, and her rickety bed was made secure. You have to carry on with the grace and strength God will give you ~ step by step and day by day. As that precious hymn declares:
“Trust and obey!
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey”.
6. God’s Business to Repay!
Jesus encountered a lot of opposition, conflict and trouble from the religious leaders of His day who were always on the look out for opportunities to attack Him. They secretly watched Him plotting and lying in wait in order to seize upon something He might say ~ that they might accuse Him (see Luke 11:54 Amplified Bible). It reminds me of the opposition Joseph suffered from his brothers who were so jealous of him they left him to die in the desert and then relented somewhat and sold him into slavery. Yet ultimately he became their means of salvation when they so desperately needed his help during the famine. Years later Joseph could say “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20). I am sure in my life people wanted to deliberately harm me too, but God promises to make it all work out for good (See Romans 8:28).
Maybe you are under attack at this moment, trouble has unexpectedly come to you and your loved ones with Mr Weaver fish leaving some of his poisonous spines to destroy and bring you down. When you are attacked so unexpectedly it can be so difficult to understand what God is doing. In fact we may not always know why the things that happen to us are permitted, even to the extent where as Barbara Johnson quotes in her books when talking about the tragic events in her life; “The secret things belong to the Lord our God” (Deuteronomy 29:29).
All I can say is whatever the situation, however bad things are, continue to trust Him. We need to persist, keep on going, putting things right where you need to and doing all that you possibly can. Leave the rest to God. Turn the other cheek even seeking to pour "hot coals" on those who persecute and hate you. Leave it to God to repay in His own way and time. That’s His business to attend to ~ not ours.
Conclusion.
To tell the truth I wouldn’t mind getting even with that fish if I met him on equal terms again! But for those who attack us we need to listen to Jesus’ teaching and put into practice His instructions to love our enemies. That means proactive prayer to bless them, showing forgiveness and even helping them if an occasion arises. No it’s not easy, our natural inclination is to hit back and hit hard. But we are not living by the rules and principles of this world ~ you and I are called to be different.
I believe only God can fill our hearts with forgiveness and love for people who have hurt us so badly; removing all the venomous spines that are left after such devastating and spiteful attacks. Ask Him for healing for your wounds, memories and all the consequences and repercussions of someone’s sinful actions. Lets have clean and pure hearts so that God can so fill us with His love that we can be more like his dear and precious son Jesus. Only then can you and I go the extra mile, even for those who hate and abuse us ~ so that we may be sons of our Father in Heaven. God Bless you.
