Recently, not of my own choosing, I discovered how easy it is to sustain a wasp sting. I was sitting peacefully on the front porch, reading the morning newspaper, and enjoying a nice cup of coffee. When I arose to leave, a good-sized wasp swooped down and sat on my coffee cup as I held it in my hand. I decided to use my other hand to flick the wasp off the cup. However, before I could do anything, within what seemed to be a fraction of a second, that wasp stung my forefinger and stung it good. I've never felt so much pain from such a small sting. Immediately, my finger turned red and began to swell.

You might also find the rest of this story amusing. At that very moment, I decided to end that wasp's life. I went inside and returned to the porch with two fly swatters, one for each hand. I located the wasp on the shutter, directly behind one of the rocking chairs. I administered an industrial-strength swat with the fly swatter. In doing so, I hit not only that wasp, but also the entire nest of wasps hidden under the shutter, successfully agitating at least twenty more. Needless to say, fearful of being stung many more times, I fled the porch. The story has a happy ending. I purchased a can of wasp spray and, later that night, succeeded in killing all the wasps.

Undoubtedly, such a traumatic event must foster some sort of lesson. I remembered, from my Old Testament studies, that the Bible speaks about God "whistling for the bee" (Isaiah 7:18). This is an account of an interesting event that occurred when the King of Syria and the King of Israel were planning to attack the southern Kingdom of Judah. God told Ahaz, who was King of Judah, not to worry, that such an attack would not happen. The verses include an interesting Messianic prophecy concerning "a virgin who would conceive," and before her child would grow to an age of understanding, the Northern Kingdom and also Syria would no longer exist.

Through God's mighty providence and omniscience, He related these future events to Ahaz. God told Ahaz that although he need not be concerned about Syria or Israel, the time would come when Judah would meet His judgment. God would call for the nations of Egypt and Assyria, and they would be His "hired razors," or instruments of judgment, "to swarm down upon Judah like flies and destroy her, like bees to sting and to kill." I love scripture that foretells future events. It eventually did happen exactly as God said it would, not only in the downfall of Israel and Syria within a very short time, but also in the coming of the nations of Egypt and Assyria.

The Messianic aspect of the prophecy was also accurate, as Mary, a virgin, gave birth to the Christ child. My friends, what the Bible says is going to happen will happen! One day, this earth will melt with fervent heat, and all its elements will be consumed. One day, each of us will stand before God's throne to give account of our deeds done in this body. Are you preparing yourself for this coming event? Don't let it come upon you suddenly, like a sting out of nowhere.

Another scriptural phrase that relates to a sting is "the sting of death." No doubt, we have all experienced the pain of losing a loved one through death. The sting of death is especially painful when it comes suddenly or unexpectedly.

Thinking back to my wasp "sting," I realize that some people have allergic reactions to wasp or bee stings and can actually die as a result of those reactions. That quick sting could have been a sting of death, if I'd had an allergic reaction. Sooner or later, we'll all feel the "sting of death," and we have no way of knowing when it will come. Although the sting of death is an experience we encounter because of sin, the Bible teaches us that through Christ, we can be victorious over this painful enemy. "0 Death, where is your sting? 0 Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:55-57) When Christians die, there is comfort and peace; and the pain of that horrible sting is removed because we realize that through Christ, we pass from death to life, that in Christ, we look forward to a wonderful resurrection and an eternal home in heaven with God. Then, we can say, "Death is swallowed up in victory" (vs.54) and, "0 Death, where is your sting?" (vs.55)

Life can present us with certain "stings," if we are not careful. As Christians, we appeal to everyone to live the life that God would have us live so we can avoid being "stung."

Young people, don't choose your companions from among those who would lure you further from God. Don't follow a crowd to do evil (Exodus 23:2), because you will be stung. Don't take even a sip of alcohol, for fear of being stung. The book of Proverbs tells us to not even look at the wine. "Do not look on the wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it swirls around smoothly; At the last it bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper." (Proverbs 23:31,32)

Today, I visited a woman who is in the hospital dying of cancer. She stopped smoking a short while ago, but it was too late. She'd already been "stung" with this deadly disease. The family prays that somehow, as the result of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, she will live longer. In the bed next to her, there lies a woman who told me she had been hospitalized for two months. She said that she spent the first month in a coma, and that her sister was ready to "pull the plug," but the doctors said there might be hope. As I spoke with her, it became evident that she had been injured in an accident that resulted from drunk driving. She told me that she will now "stand up and tell her family that if they want to drink, it will not be around her or in her house." I asked if anyone else was injured in the accident; she said her husband was killed. What a horrible "sting."

Think about every one of life's occasions. When you seek a companion, don't marry someone who has been married and divorced, unless the divorce was for sexual immorality; if so, be certain that the person you intend to marry is the one who did the "putting away," and that it was for sexual immorality. Marriage to a divorced person who has been "put away," or to one who is divorced for another reason, will result in adultery. What a horrible "sting" it is to realize that your marriage is unscriptural, and that, as a result of marrying an ineligible person, you are living in adultery. If you've never married, make wise decisions. Marry someone who has the faith and conviction that marriage is for life. Marriage can work, if we work at marriage. It is sad to see people living with the "sting" of divorce. Think wisely about your decisions in life, and eliminate the pain that can happen as a result of foolish choices.

The bottom line is: I will do everything in my power to ensure that I'm never again stung by a wasp. Let us all apply this same diligence to avoid being "stung" in spiritual matters as well.