That Bull Shark Enemy

Surfer, 10, Survives Run-In With Shark

 

Today's news, via ABC: "All of a sudden, we realized something was wrong," Hussey said. "We even on the boardwalk could see that it was a shark." The animal snapped at Royston's leash - a cord every surfer wears around his ankle to tie him to his board. Royston was pulled underwater and his surf board went straight up in the air, perpendicular to the water. "Somehow, I don't know how, he had the presence of mind to take off his leash," Hussey said. "He got away, and the shark was tangled up in the leash."

 

Ok, so here's this kid in the middle of some surfing competition and shortly after the Discovery Channel airs Shark Week - whamo, a bull shark pulls him off his board and underwater. This Hussey person that ABC quoted is saying that this wasn't an attack but an encounter...claiming that if the shark had wanted to attack, the outcome would have been different. Perhaps Hussey is correct, although the insinuation that the shark got caught up in the leash kind of screams attack to me. I am quite thankful that the shark was unsuccessful in his/her desire for destruction, but I'd call it an attack anyway.

 

As I was reading this article I was thinking, "How many times does the enemy attempt to attack us, to pull us off our boards and try to drown us?" When I think about it that way I definitely would label this an attack. I have to consider the armor of God that we are to put on everyday and then I wonder if this kid had that kind of armor on him or if his angel that sees God's face (Matthew 18:10) just took care of him? Regardless, we need to be keenly aware of the enemy's frequent attacks, or encounters. He's always looking for ways to take us down, to destroy us.

 

How many times has he succeeded? How many times has he grabbed the leash that holds you to your Faith and shook it so hard that you lost your balance and slammed into the oceanic current of sin? How many times has he sunk his razor sharp teeth into your resolve to turn away from evil, your conviction to leave a bad relationship or give up an addiction? How many times has that bull shark enemy defeated you? Finally, I have to ask you, why? If you serve the God of the universe, the King of Kings, there is absolutely no reason that the enemy's encounters need to be attacks. Pray that if he manages to get you off your board you'll have the presence of mind to get out of the water leaving him to get tangled up in his own mess.

Everything with a Grain of Salt - Shark Week

So, it's Shark Week on Discovery. Thankfully, Verizon has provided the whole thing On Demand. Thusly I had the joy of watching the first day's episodes this evening. This means that I saw the piece they did on Megalodon and I am definitely not the only one. In fact, CNN reported, "The "Megalodon" show brought in record ratings for Discovery, with 4.8 million viewers tuning in. In the 26-year history of Shark Week, "Megalodon" is the highest-rated and most-watched Shark Week episode to date."

The CNN article seems to be pretty angry with the Discovery Channel for airing this show which implied, though failed to prove, the current existence of megalodon. I have to laugh at the whole thing because of course they cited that, " as National Geographic notes, the megalodon has been extinct for millions of years..." Perhaps you are wondering why I find that funny? Well, who at National Geographic has been around for millions of years? Yes, I get that they use so-called carbon-dating (this link will take you to an article on that topic) to ascertain when such extinct animals swam in the deep.

I guess I am of the mindset that all kinds of pre-historic things can still be out there. I'd prefer to cite the Word. Job spoke frequently about a being that he called the Leviathan. Isaiah describes it as a serpent (Isaiah 27:1 - I envision the  Loch Ness Monster); Job talks about reeling it in with a fishhook (Job 41:1 - I think megalodon) and David writes that it frolics in the sea (Psalm 104:26) . The truth is, as  "The executive producer of Shark Week, Michael Sorensen, points out...with 95 percent of the ocean unexplored, who really knows?" It doesn't seem like something to get your panties in a wad about.

Listen, if the Bible can reference large creatures that are extremely horrifying, I really don't have a problem believing that megalodon is still out there. Does that make me a quack? If so, ok. Look at what Job warns, "When Leviathan rises, the mighty are terrified; they withdraw because of his thrashing..." (41:25 HCSB). I suspect the people that were in that cage when that giant thing swam by were pretty terrified, not to mention the people whose boat got sunk. Science is great, don't get me wrong, but the truth is, science came from man's desire to prove God's existence and has since turned into the complete opposite. I'll tell you what my dad always tells me, "Take everything with a grain of salt."