Lessons from a Mom and her Disobedient Young Part I

Normally this graceful creature browses through the wooded forest, but not today. This was the first time this two-year-old white-tailed deer doe has given birth. The process lasted about ten minutes. Soon she was busy licking her newly born spotted fawn. Happiness and pride welled up from within; she licked so hard that she knocked the fawn off of its wobbly feet. Hungry from birth, the fawn began nuzzling mom’s belly in search of that warm nutritious milk. Later lying motionless and being scent free, mom would conceal its young in a secluded spot, returning six to seven times each day after she has feed.

Days went by and the fawn grew rapidly. With its growth came an increasing desire to wander. This was very dangerous. Mom had to deal with the young buck. In no certain terms, the doe made it very clear to the fawn that it had to stay hidden. One day a monarch butterfly caught its eye and fluttered out of sight. The little guy new it had to stay put, but the wonder of this beautiful sight was too much for him and he followed the butterfly into an unprotected world. As the fawn left the protective cover and entered in the open, terror and fright gripped the fawn. A coyote was near. Mom was not there to intervene. The coyote seen movement and the fawn tried to return to cover, but it was too late. The little deer had needlessly lost its life because it failed to completely obey its mother.

Wow! What a realistic picture of nature in its purest form, beautiful and yet tragic all at the same time. However, if we are honest, we can see our lives in some form within this real life story. Parents, can you see your children in this story, teenagers, can you see your parents in this story, and can we see ourselves in this story: The warnings, the worries, and the wonders that life presents us with each day.

In the next four devotions we will look to the scriptures and find some insight on the importance of being obedient to the Lord, as well as:
1. The Cautions of Disobedience - Part I - October 17th
2. The Carelessness of Disobedience – Part II - Available October 24th
3. The “Coyotes” of Disobedience – Part III - Available October 31st
4. The Cost of Disobedience – Part IV - Available November 7th

The Cautions of Disobedience: Proverbs 5:1-2
“My son, pay attention to my wisdom, listen well to my words of insight, that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge.”

In this proverb you see a father warning his son about certain dangers of life. You can get the essence of the chapter by just reading the first two verses and the last verse. The father basically tells the son, “Look son, I’ve been around the block a few times, listen to your dad. Take what I’ve learned of this world and use it. There are some real dangers out their and you need to be aware of them and avoid them. However, if you don’t take my advice you could be lead astray and even die.”

I think all of us have had similar talks with our parents with them cautioning us about the dangers of this world. I wish I would have heeded more to the advice and knowledge of my parents. It would have saved me a lot of grief and hardship. In our little story the doe did all she could do to warn her little fawn about the dangers of the forest. In her own way she communicated those warning to her fawn daily. However, it only took a little butterfly to lead him astray and later to his death.

It is the same way with our Heavenly Father. He is so full of wisdom and, literally, knows everything. He speaks to us in so many ways flashing caution light after caution light in front of our faces, with us most of the time just speeding right through them. Our Father is telling us to slow down, stop, look, and listen; there are dangers out their. He does not want to see us harmed. Please do not ignore the warnings of our Lord, and do not let the little things in life lead you astray!!

Posted by Mark Newell