STARFISH STRUGGLES
In the early 1900s starfish were devouring the oysters in the fishing village of Narragansett, Rhode Island, seriously impacting their economy. The townsfolk came up with a brilliant solution. On a designated day, everyone in town headed to the beach with machetes in hand. The fishermen hauled in starfish and dumped them on the shore. The remaining villagers chopped up the sea stars. Then the fishermen dumped them back into the bay. Thus, the oysters would feed on the starfish. Problem solved.
Except for one small fact. When a starfish is cut in half, it reproduces two starfish, as long as a portion of the center remains. Now, each chopped-up piece that contained the sea star’s core, created a new starfish. Instead of ridding themselves of starfish, their troubles increased exponentially.
I suspect this story has been stretched a bit through the years—more fictional than factual. But it reveals a powerful principle. Sometimes when we try to fix our problems, we only make matters worse. Rather than trusting God, we believe we know what’s best for us. But our Father loves to surprise us by turning our worst situations into blessings…at least from the starfish’s perspective.
Consider Saul of Tarsus. His life’s mission was to stamp out the name of Jesus Christ. Armed with the authority of the Jewish council, he launched an offensive to annihilate the church. Like a starfish pouncing on an unsuspecting oyster, he brutalized his prey. Acts 8:3 states, “Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.” Imagine their anxiety, as they ran for their lives, wondering, “Is this the end of Christ’s church?”
But God is always working behind the scenes. Catch what happened in verse four. “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” These early disciples became church planters. Multiplying like starfish, dozens of new churches sprang up in fresh areas. Unintentionally, Saul created huge church growth, much as these hapless fishermen did with starfish.
That’s how God operates. He redeems what appears to be tragedy and transforms it into triumph. We all have our “starfish”—irritants that threaten our peace of mind. But we can rest in the Lord, knowing he’s at work, defeating the schemes of the enemy, and bringing good out of our worst situations.
UPDATE ON LINDA: Last week, Linda felt great. This week, she is experiencing more detox symptoms, and doesn’t feel as well. This is normal. She remains in a joyful state of mind, in spite of her circumstances. Please continue praying for her to get through the difficult days. There are so many blessings we are experiencing because of the struggles we face.
Principle: God is at work, defeating the schemes of the enemy, and bringing good out of our worst situations.
Ponder:
What “starfish” are devouring the “oysters” in your life?
How can you learn to trust God more in these areas?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Acts 8:1-4.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the “starfish” in my life, as difficult as they may be. I trust that you are using them to bring a blessing to me.