Do you remember the Gulf War many years ago? Do you remember seeing all the oil and gas fires that Saddam Hussein's retreating troops had set in Kuwait? Also, do you remember how the retreating soldiers planted lots of land mines in those desert sands?
We learned about Claymore and other types of land mines. These had to be found and detonated before the fire-fighters could do their jobs. It's no fun to accidentally step on a land mine. There is an explosion, flying fragments, pain, injury and possibly death.
As we start to walk through life at an early age, we need to be aware of land mines that we can step upon. They don't usually detonate immediately, but they ignite and start a clock ticking. The explosion comes later in our lives.
When we were really young, our parents guided us around some of these mines. They warned us of dangerous places to avoid. They steered us around these explosive forces because in this world, there is no way that they can all be detonated by anti-mine shells lobbed from imaginary tanks.
In young adulthood, our parents are not there to steer us around all of them. We have to walk around them on our own. One person said, "The trouble with teenagers is they haven't learned to be controlled. Living life right down the middle, with all its attendant land mines, is all they know. It hasn't occurred to them to run a zigzag pattern."
In most parts of the world, we don't have to be too concerned about Claymore mines, unless we have a personal mission like Lady Diana, the Princess of Wales. Earlier this year, she travelled to Angola to promote awareness of deadly land mines.
We do have to be concerned about landmines that can be just as dangerous and they are all around us!
Some Land Mines
What are some of them?
Here is a list of the more common ones:
These have been planted by the enemy in our society and have ruined or destroyed countless lives. By stepping on themby picking them up, we invite exploding shrapnel into our future. If you really listen, you can hear them going off further down the road of life. That's why our Friend and Creator tells us to, "Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil." (Proverbs 4:26-27 NKJV).
In talking about stepping on one of these landmines, God says, "but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths are crooked, but she knows it not. Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house," (Proverbs 5:4-8 NIV).
Use God's word, use His laws, use the scriptures to help detect and avoid these cleverly disguised land mines in this spiritual desert that we walk. The path of following God's laws is mine-free!
