A “Crabby” Attitude

This morning on my bike ride on the beach I came across a crab…no, not a grumpy person, but a real, live crab.  It was on the edge of the waves.  It was about four inches across, the kind of crab with its eyes sticking out on the top of its head.  I stopped to take a picture and as I got in close, the crab raised its one pincher (not sure how it lost the other one) in an aggressive position against me.  It was like the crab was saying, “Don’t mess with me…if you do, I am going to hurt you”.

In reality, I am much smarter and stronger than that little crab.  I have incredibly more wisdom and knowledge and physical strength than the little crab.  The crab should have assumed a posture of complete submission, almost worship-like to me, pleading with its actions for mercy and grace from me.  Instead, this little crab acted like it was my equal.   Then I started thinking….

Is that how I treat God…or is that how you treat God?  God is so much stronger and smarter and wiser than I am, or you are.  He is able to squash me like a bug.  He is able to end my life at His whim.  .  I was reminded of Psalm 144:3-4:  Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?
Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?

4 Man is like a breath;
His days are like a passing shadow.  Yet when I come face to face with Him, especially when He does something I don’t like or understand, I raise my voice, attitude or my fist in defiance.  Unfortunately, many human beings do the same thing to an even greater degree.  God is worthy of our complete submission and worship; bowing down to Him and His essence…yet so often we are defiant…like the little crab I saw this morning.

Father, forgive me for my defiant, “crabby” attitude.  Give me continual insight into Who You are and who I am.