Bradley was a fun-loving, 10-year-old boy who lived in south Florida and loved to play baseball.
Last June, Bradley and his parents, along with some other friends, were canoeing down the Loxahatchee River in Jonathan Dickinson State Park. This is a shallow, winding river with many lush, tropical plants and trees lining the banks. People enjoy paddling their canoes on this river to see the many birds and animals in their natural surroundings.
Everyone was aware that alligators were living in that river. The park rangers warn visitors to stay out of the water and not to feed them.
Alligators have a natural fear of man, but they will lose their fear if fed by people.
In spite of the warnings, it was a common practice for canoers to get out of their canoes to push them in the shallow water when they got stuck on tree roots. Some would even go swimming when they got too hot.
Bradley and his parents and friends were wading in the shallow water when his father noticed that Bradley was missing. Seeing something white being pulled through the water, his father grabbed it. It was Bradley with his white T-shirt on! Trying to pull his son out of the water, his father felt him being tugged back in. To his horror, his father discovered that a huge alligator had Bradley in his jaws! He grabbed his son’s leg and refused to let go while others began beating the alligator with canoe paddles.
When the alligator finally let go of Bradley, his father and others wrapped his head with the T-shirt to try to stop the severe bleeding and paddled feverishly to the nearest place where they could call for help. Even though Bradley was taken by helicopter to the nearest hospital, it was too late, and he died.
When the alligator was later caught and killed, they said it was 11-1/2 feet long and weighed 350-400 pounds. Its snout was 11-1/2 inches long and 10-1/2 inches wide. They also said its stomach was empty, so it had been hungry. The huge alligator had just quietly slipped through the water and grabbed Bradley.
This alligator reminds us of an even more dangerous enemy who is sometimes quiet and sly in the way he deceives and then destroys boys and girls (grown-ups too). Some people think the devil is just a joke, but the Bible, God’s Word, tells us, “Your adversary [enemy] the devil . . . walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:88Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1 Peter 5:8).
Satan (the devil) deceived Eve in the garden of Eden, and he has been trying to deceive people ever since. But Jesus defeated the devil at the cross of Calvary where He died for our sins. Some day the devil is going to be cast into the lake of fire forever (Revelation 20:1010And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)). But boys and girls who have believed that Jesus died on the cross for their sins are forever safe in Jesus’ hand. “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand.” John 10:28,2928And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:28‑29).
Bradley’s parents said at his funeral that he went to be with God. We truly hope that Bradley had asked Jesus into his heart to be his Lord and Saviour. But what about you? If that had been you instead of Bradley, would you be in heaven now? Jesus is coming very soon to take all the Christian believers in this world to be with Himself in heaven. Boys and girls need to be sure that they are ready. Are you?
ML-03/06/1994