Leaning on the Spider's Web
"Can papyrus
grow tall where there is no marsh? Can reeds thrive without
water? While still growing and uncut, they wither more
quickly than grass. Such is the destiny of all who forget
God; so perishes the hope of the godless. What he trusts in
is fragile; what he relies on is a spider's web. He leans on
his web, but it gives way; he clings to it, but it does not
hold." (Job 8:11-15)
Have you ever tried to lean on a spider's web? If you have,
you probably already know that it cannot hold you up. No. In
fact, it will break with just a fraction of your weight. You
can try and grab hold of it, but it does not hold your
weight. Thankfully. As I write this, I am reliving a hike in
the woods off of the Bruce Peninsula (between the Georgian
Bay and Lake Huron) that my family and I went on last
summer. I remember that the spiders had done their job well,
stringing their sticking, invisible strings from tree to
tree across the trail, making it necessary for my son to
walk ahead holding a big stick up in front of him to break
the webs before they became "stuck" to our arms and faces!
Could you imagine running into an invisible web strong
enough to hold you up? Yes, I am thankful that the spider
webs aren't strong enough to hold our weight!
I find it very interesting how Job's friend, Bildad the
Shuhite, likens the life without God's correction and
without God's guidance to relying on and leaning on a
spider's web. The world's wisest man tells us: Prov 3:5-6
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your
own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he
will make your paths straight." If leaning on your own
understanding is like leaning against a spider's web, then
it is little wonder that Solomon warns us to not lean on our
own understanding!
What are you leaning up against, my friend? The Rock that is
Christ Jesus? Or the spider's web?
Love in Christ,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart,