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WHAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH GAY MARRIAGE?

CLEAN SURFING

HE CAN BE TRUSTED

SEEKING SUCCESS IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES

FICTITIOUS TIMES

2002 IN REVIEW

LOTTIE MOON

A WILLING GIFT

A REFLECTION OF THE FATHER

THE SLIPPERY SLOPE

PURPOSE IN LIFE

DAMAGE THAT IS HARD TO DETECT

YOUR FIRST PRIORITY

THE "WORLD VIEW" PROBLEM

AUTHENTIC CHRISTIANS

CROSSING THE LINE

SET YOUR HEART

LET PRAYER BE OUR PASSION

AN UNTIMELY DEATH

I think just about everyone in the world must have known Steve Irwin, or at least they knew him by his moniker “the Crocodile Hunter.” Who could ever forget the many times he said “Crikey mate. She’s a beyoooooty!” Or the ever-present smile, or the overflowing energy when he was onscreen, or the constant enthusiasm with which he pursued life. I told Debi, “He’s the kind of guy you think to yourself, ‘I would really enjoy being his friend.’”

When I read in the news this morning that Irwin was dead at the age of forty-four I was stunned. I was stunned even more by the fact that it wasn’t an alligator attack, a shark bite, or snake venom that killed him. He died when the barb of a stingray punctured his heart. Stingrays are fairly docile creatures and attacks on humans are a rarity. Only one other person is known to have died in Australia from a stingray attack and that was in 1945. I’m confident that Irwin felt this was one of his safer assignments.

Once again I am reminded of two things. First, life is so fragile. We seldom think of dying, yet all of us are but one breath away from physical death. Isaiah said it first, Peter agreed, All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall (Isaiah 40:8, 1 Peter 1:24). James said, How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone (James 4:14, NLT). David said, Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered, and that my life is fleeing away (Psalm 39:4, NLT). Life is brief and fragile and we need to make it count by living for Jesus Christ.

My second thought has to do with Irwin’s spiritual condition. I have no idea if he was a believer in Jesus Christ. I wish that I had a confidence that someone shared the good news of Jesus with him. But that is out of my hands and into the hands of God. However, as long as I remain here I want to be faithful to share with others about Jesus every time God gives me the opportunity.