IT ALL STARTS LITTLE   By Carl McMurray

 

Fox news was reporting Friday on the fate of Winfield, MO. Another small town inundated with water along the Mississippi River. Winfield was holding it’s own against the river with its’ own levee it seems, until one muskrat, building a new home burrowed into the levee. Hundreds of townspeople, volunteers, and even the National Guard couldn’t stop the breech when thirty feet of earthen dam gave way to the pressure of the river after being weakened by the rodent.

 

Wow, what a small cause for such a big problem. One resident complained that with all the guns they had, why couldn’t they kill just one rodent? Good question. Even the United States government in the form of the National Guard couldn’t stop one water rat. Makes me think of all the other big problems that get into our life by letting one rat burrow in.

 

One lie, to a parent, a friend, anyone... especially one we think we got away with, leads to more lies. Eventually we are not believed at all, or trusted, and our word means nothing. Then comes the time when we really need someone to stand by us and believe...

 

One worship service missed. I’m not speaking of the ones where we have to miss in order to earn a living while we wish we could fellowship with the saints. I’m speaking of the one where we COULD have come, we just didn’t want to. We slept in. We watched TV. We went visiting. We had a headache. Or we just didn’t bother. The second time the Devil tempts us it becomes easier. And the third, and then we lose count. And then someone says, “Hey there, we haven’t seen you FOR AWHILE...” And it started with just one ball game, one Bible class, one opportunity that we passed on.

 

One visit to somewhere a Christian ought not to be has to be taken before we can get used to such places. One drink has to be taken before anyone can ever get drunk. One lewd picture or porn site has to be dwelt on before that vice can get root in our minds. One angry outburst has to be excused and ignored before that type of behavior can get to be a habit. One friend has to be put up with before his/her ungodly attitude can begin to influence us.

 

Just like one muskrat dug one hole and took out one levee that flooded one town. One sin that we won’t repent of weakens our resistance to Satan. Why not? We may tell ourselves. We already did it before, once more won’t matter, and so it starts. Fight the fight brethren. Stand firm against the pressure. And shoot the rats.