Raging Waves

Bible Reading: 1 John 4:3; Jude 1:3-4, 12-13

“It’s fun to stay with you here in Florida every winter,” Asher said as he and his grandpa walked to the ocean. “Just think! My friends are wearing coats and boots and tromping through the snow back home, but I can wear shorts and sandals and go swimming.”

Broken tree limbs and pieces of buildings were piled up in some of the yards they passed. “All that damage is from the hurricane you had not too long ago, isn’t it?” Asher asked, and Grandpa nodded. In some yards, homes were being repaired. Other houses looked empty. “It must cost a lot to fix all these houses,” said Asher.

“Yes, it does,” said Grandpa. “Most people prepare for storms, but some disasters—like hurricanes—are too big to adequately prepare for. That’s especially true if houses are built too close to the ocean or are not built strong enough. Many houses were destroyed by the storm surge—the fierce waves that the hurricane winds blew in.”

When they reached the shore, Asher was amazed. “Wow! The waves are huge today!”

Grandpa nodded. “Yes, but they’re small compared to those in the storm surge.” He paused. “This morning I read in my Bible about another kind of wave that can cause a lot of destruction. It was referring to people who are false teachers.”

“How are they like waves?” Asher asked.

“The raging ocean waves twisted and changed things on this beach and caused a great deal of damage. False teachers twist and change what is written in the Bible. They might say that Jesus isn’t God, or that sin isn’t that big of a deal, or that we need to do something other than trust in Jesus to be saved. Their lies cause a lot of damage in the lives of people who believe them.” Grandpa shook his head as he looked around. “It takes time, effort, and money to rebuild after a hurricane, but only God can rebuild the life of someone swept away by false teaching.”

“Wow,” said Asher. “So we have to be careful to listen to people who teach exactly what the Bible says, don’t we?”

“Yes, we do. We need to read and study it carefully and pray that Jesus would help us understand the truth of His Word.”

-Linda Weddle

How About You?

Have you watched waves beat against the shore? They can do a lot of damage. False teachers are like that. They may have interesting things to say or even quote Bible verses, but they’re preaching their own ideas, not God’s truth. God has given us His truth in the Bible. Read it, study it, talk about it with Christians you trust, and ask Jesus to help you understand it so you can stand firm against false teaching.

Today’s Key Verse: Jude 1:12-13 (NKJV) These [false teachers] are…raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame.

Today’s Key Thought:

Learn what the Bible says