WRAP AROUND!

  ‘Wrap Around Spider’ photo by Zleng. CC BY 2.0.

What do you do to protect yourself and your family?  We can learn something from the ‘Wrap Around Spider’ who goes to extremes to protect itself!  (See photo above).  Its underside is concave which allows it to wrap itself around a twig so tightly that no one, including birds can see it.  Did I say twig?  Yes, the female spider is tiny, measuring less that 1/2 inch in diameter!!! 
Can you see it?                                            

It stays wrapped all during the day while predators, especially birds fly about.  The sign reads, ‘leave me alone’! 
It is waiting for the night when its work begins.  Once night falls, it is safe for the WA to leave its twig and begin to weave a web in the darkness.  It is considered an orb weaver spider and weaves a web about 7 1/8 inch in diameter.  The web is suspended between branches or shrubs in order to catch flies or moths.  Dinner is served! 

What is astounding is it removes all evidence of its web before daylight to protect itself from birds who could possibly see the web and say to themselves, ‘there has to be a spider around here somewhere’!  What a clever spider!  It then returns to its twig and vanishes in plain sight!!!

God has provided all this instinctual protection for the ‘Wrap Around’.  What has He provided for you?  MUCH!!!  The trouble is, His protection comes with an ‘If/then’ clause.

Psalm 91:9 says it clearly!  ‘If’you say, ‘The LORD is my refuge,’ and you make the Most High your dwelling,’ then’ all the protection promised in this Psalm is yours!  ‘Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.  You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.’  Psalm 91:3-7.

Verse 14 corroborates the ‘if’’ clause.  ‘Because he loves me, (or if he loves me) says the Lord, ‘I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he (if he) acknowledges my name.’  Psalm 91:14.

These are only a few verses from this psalm of protection!  There are many more!  Read the Psalm!

Jesus also used the word ‘if’.  He said, ‘If you love me, keep my commands.  ‘Then’ ,‘I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate (The Holy Spirit) to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.’  John 14:15-17.  This Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus to not only be with you, but to live IN you.
Jesus elaborates on what He (The Holy Spirit) will do for you, ‘IF’.  ‘But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.’  John 14:26. 

I’m certain you can imagine what it means to have God Himself in the form of the Holy Spirit living in you and with you, now and on into eternity! He is right there with you 24/7.  He will guide you, comfort you, pray for you, help you become more like Jesus, and give you the gifts of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control! 

All this spells ‘PROTECTION’ and so much more than a ‘Wrap Around’!

IF!!!!!