Thursday, June 8, 2017

What A Ghost Crab Taught Me About Jesus

What a Ghost Crab Taught Me About Jesus


Am I the only one who still loves to hunt for ghost crabs on the beach at night?

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, ghost crabs (also known as sand crabs) are sand colored crabs that spend their days hiding from predators in the sand. At night, when it's safer, they come out and roam the beach looking for food. 

If you shine your flashlight on the sand you will see them running all over the beach. It's a lot of fun to look for them and chase them down. 

Recently, my husband and I did this and as our lights revealed all of the crabs hidden in the dark, the Holy Spirit revealed some things to me that I want to share with you.

God is always there, you just have to look

My husband and I were walking in the dark for a long time before we turned on our flashlights to look for crabs. When I shined my light on the sand for the first time, there was a crab right beside us. In fact, there were crabs all over the beach and what I realized was they were there the entire time. 

How many of us are wandering in the darkness, wondering when God is going to show up and change our circumstances? God is just like those crabs. Whether you're searching for Him, acknowledging His presence or not, He's there. 

In Jeremiah 23:24, God says "can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth?" Even if we don't choose to look for Him, even if we choose to stay stuck in the darkness instead of stepping into His light, He is there. He is in all places at all times. He's just waiting for us to call on Him.


If you've been feeling distant from God, know that He is not far away. He hasn't abandoned you. He is standing at the door of your heart, knocking, waiting for you to allow Him in. He promises that if you seek Him with all your heart you will find Him.

How many of us are wandering in the darkness, wondering when God is going to show up and change our circumstances? Whether you're searching for Him, acknowledging His presence or not, He's there.


God is available to everyone

That night the ghost crabs surrounded everyone, not just those of us with flashlights. In the same way, God's presence isn't limited to certain people. You don't have to be super spiritual, have grown up in church, know the Bible front to back or live a sinless life to experience the love of God. 

His Word says everyone who calls on His name shall be saved. That includes the lost, the broken, the rich, the poor, those stuck in sin. Everyone. He requires nothing from you, just that you identify your need for Him and accept Him as your savior.

So many people believe that they can't follow Jesus until they clean up their lives. The truth is we can't truly clean up our lives until we follow Jesus. He didn't come for the righteous, but for the sinners.

When we know Jesus we see things differently

Having a flashlight made it easier to see the crabs just like knowing Jesus changes the way we see the world. When we become followers of Jesus, He changes our thinking. Our reactions, our words, our perspective and our goals all change to glorify God. 

"Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy." Ephesians 4:23-24

A friend recently reminded me that when we know who we belong to we are able to handle tough situations with more grace. We are able to serve others selflessly and not sweat the small stuff because we know that our true reward is waiting for us in Heaven.

Following Jesus gives us a hope, peace and joy that completely changes our outlook on life.  

If find yourself wandering in the darkness without a source of light, consumed by the lie that Jesus could never accept someone like you, I pray that you would simply call on His name. He is there, waiting to change your life from the inside out.


7 comments:

  1. I love that scripture from Jeremiah! God definitely fills heaven and earth...amazing how man's bent is to hide...or to think we can!

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    1. It's hard to grasp, but He is literally everywhere. So comforting to know when you know who He truly is. Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment!

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  2. Beautiful! I love your perspective. I've never learned about God from a ghost crab before, but I do believe the mark of the Creator and lessons about the Creator can be found in all of His creations.

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    1. Yes, definitely! God reveals so much through His creation. Thanks for commenting!

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  3. Terrific! Thank you. You have prompted me to use a similar illustration when I talk to child sex trafficking survivors this fall. It is such a powerful, simple, memorable concept. I was looking for just such a hook for my opening. I'll have to find out what kids look for at night in south Texas. I'm in New England, we throw tennis balls in tube socks into the night sky to attract bats. Thanks again, so marvelous...

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    1. So funny how we all have different traditions! I would never want to attract bats hahaha. Glad this inspired you! I never intended for it to be a message for kids, but I was realizing that it could be as I wrote it.

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