Fingerprints of Satan: Looking for someone to devour

I once heard that bad things don’t happen to speakers and authors. What most people call bad things, authors and speakers call stories in the making. I looked out on the deck this morning and saw the bird feeder crashed into pieces. I immediately thought, “I’ve got to find the camera. There has to be a story in this.” Before I even turned away from the door to find the camera, I already knew the moral of this story.

As evidenced by the paw prints left in the frost on the deck, a raccoon had climbed up on the rail, pulled the bird feeder down, and ate all of the seed that scattered out from its broken frame. We knew a raccoon had been getting into the bird feeder at night. At the end of the day, the arm it hung on would be sticking out, away from the railing. By morning it often had been pulled so the feeder was directly over the rail and easier for little paws to get into. This last time though the raccoon pulled too hard and the bird feeder came crashing to the ground.

Sadly, this is the case of many churches in the world. Like the ravenous raccoon, Satan waits until no one is watching and sneaks in. At first he just twists a little truth here and spins a little lie there, much like the raccoon did each night. Eventually his voracious appetite to destroy the Word of God becomes too strong. His twists and spins become so powerful that the church comes crashing down.

Be self-controlled and alert.
Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
(1 Peter 5:8, NIV)

As the raccoon devoured the seed from between the shattered pieces, he left paw prints in the frost all over the deck. We may not see the truth-twists and lies that Satan is spinning in our churches or lives. However, after everything comes crashing down we can often look back and see his prints all over the place. We know the animal on our deck was a raccoon by the shape and style of the paw prints. Similarly, we can recognize the prints of Satan.

The print of Temptation – 1 Thessalonians 3:5

For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.

The print of Deception – Revelation 12:9

The great dragon was hurled down - that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.

The print of Lies – John 8:44

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

But the raccoon will not be allowed the final victory here, and neither will Satan in the end. This story isn’t over yet…

Click on the following to read the other stories about the bird feeder...

Part 1: This is for the Birds
Part 2: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Part 3: I Don't Want to Eat Like a Bird

Part 5: Satan Didn't Win; The Bird Feeder Restored
Part 6: He's not Giving Up that Easily