Wasps in a Bush: A Modern Day Parable

Around the start of August a man went out on his porch to survey his property and assess the work that needed to be done that day. The summer had been a wet and hot one so several weeks had passed between the times the man was able to do yard maintenance.

The grass was knee high.
The garden beds full of weeds.
Broken limbs lay strewn about under trees.
Dog excrement littered the yard.

And the bushes needed desperate attention. They hadn't been touched the entire summer and were possibly the worst of all.

He started with the grass as this was most inconvenient due to the sheer size of the space. Fortunately for the man his wife had joined him and took turns at the mower.

During one of the times his wife took a turn on the mower the man went to get the bush trimmers.

He began at the back and made his way around to the front. About two thirds of the bush was done when suddenly a sharp pain took over his left hand and then suddenly his back.

He let out a scream and began to run as he suddenly realized he was under attack by a horde of wasps. His wife had no idea what had happened. She just saw her husband looking like a mad man sprinting across the yard and screaming.

Once he was at a safe distance he was able to see his hand and back. His hand and back were throbbing and swelling. He applied ointment and went to the store to get a can of Raid.

Once home he took to the bush with unmatched fury. These wasps were not going to take over his front yard.

He soaked the nest.
He soaked the bush.
He shot down every wasp that emerged from the bush and watched with glee as they fell from the sky to their death on the ground.

They were going to die.
And die they did.

Later that day as the man sat and tended to his wounds (after he finished the yard work of course – the bushes will have to wait) he began to think about the incident.

Many questions flooded his mind:

Could this entire thing have been avoided?

What if he had tended to the bushes more frequently not allowing the enemy (the wasps) to build up a strong hold in his bush?

What if he had taken the time to examine the bush and determine if the enemy (the wasps) had made a home in his bush and plotted out a better plan of attack before hacking into the bush assuming no wrong could befall him?

What about his other bushes? Are there more enemies lurking in their branches?

The bushes still need trimmed, how will this ever get done without suffering another attack from the enemy?

How is it such a small creature can pack such a huge wallop?

So many questions.

The moral of the story is this folks:

Tend to all areas of your life. Even the ones that seem small and insignificant. The enemy will use even the smallest windows of opportunity to build a stronghold and once he's there, he is gonna fight you tooth and nail before he lets go.

If you have allowed even the smallest areas of your life to grow over and the enemy to slip in unawares, it's not too late, but you better know your enemy and be aware of his schemes.

Arm yourself properly with the spiritual weapons God has given to you. Take charge and authority over the situation. The Lord has granted you supernatural power to defeat the enemy. Use it.

Oh, and be sure to not go it alone and keep some stuff around to and don't be afraid to ask for help to tend to the wounds. The enemy won't let go easily and he will fight you for what he thinks is his. You may have to take some hits, but remember, the enemy is already defeated because God's Son took the most serious hits for you and conquered sin and the grave paving a way for you to victory.

Fight on warrior.

There may be wasps in the bush, but the bush belongs to the Lord and He isn't going to give any ground up to the enemy.