Risking Their Souls

Isle of Jaws
Photo credit: Discovery Channel, #IsleofJaws, Andy Casagrande in photo (Lead diver, researcher, and photographer)

This last week has been Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.  Our family loves Shark Week and we record just about every episode we can.  Today I was watching one of the new episodes that I really liked called “Isle of Jaws: Blood Brothers.”  Emmy Award winning cinematographer and conservationist Andy Casagrande goes back to the Isle of Jaws to confirm research he did last year on two Great White shark brothers, and what he discovers is awesome.  The research Andy and his team are doing is crucial to understanding shark behavior, but they do so at great risk to their own souls.  This episode was intense at times and the risks they take made me think about life and death and testing God.

The Isle of Jaws sits 80 miles southeast of the coastal town of Esperance, Australia, and the waters surrounding the island are full of Great White sharks.  Most people would not dare go in those waters even in a cage, let alone dive in open water with the sharks, but Andy and his crew do just that.  When they got out of the cage to film the sharks, I was saying, “Get back in the cage!”  I felt like praying for their protection right in that moment, but of course the show is not live.  I do pray for God to protect them though and I pray they are never attacked by a shark, especially a Great White.

Australia map

Esperance, Australia
Esperance, Australia
Isle of Jaws boat
Isle of Jaws, Discovery Channel’s Shark Week

It is so crazy when they get out of the cage!  I am always sitting here thinking, “What are these guys thinking?!  Are they crazy?!  Why can’t they just film the sharks from inside the cage?!”  It makes for good TV and it has us on the edge of our seat holding our breath, but at what cost to the people in the water?  I don’t want people risking their lives to make exciting TV shows.  Human souls are far too precious to be put into danger like that.

At any time Andy and his crew could be killed.  In a flash, with a quick strike, those Great White sharks could kill them.  What is stopping those sharks from killing them?  I say God is protecting them, whether they give Him glory for it or not.  How far is too far and when does research become testing God?  Some might say even being in a protective cage in shark infested waters is testing God.  More might agree that it is testing God when they get out of the cage and swim with the mighty killers in open water.  I would not want to do either, but I definitely would not trust my life to the whims of a Great White!

Great white shark smiling
Great White shark, Shark Week 2019

I see nature for what it is.  Great White sharks eat meat and when we are in their waters, we are meat.  It’s just that simple.  I really can’t stand it when they say sharks don’t eat people.  Sure they do!  As we have learned in this season of Shark Week, there have even been times where sharks are actively hunting people year after year as evidenced by the 22 attacks and 11 deaths in 8 years in the waters surrounding the island of Réunion.

Most of us will never dive with Great White sharks.  Those who do have stared death in the face and I truly hope they consider their eternal souls.  Life and death are not a game.  Most people go about their day without giving a single thought to their soul or what will happen when they die.  Many people take life threatening risks.  Some take risks for research, some for money and fame, and some do it just for fun.  I am not saying live your life in fear.  I had my times taking risks doing things like climbing a 14,000 foot mountain and snowboarding from 12,000 feet.  What I am saying is please consider your soul and what it is worth.

Our souls are so precious to God that He died for us to save us from sin and death!  He does not want us to perish!  He wants all of us to come to repentance and receive His free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Jesus speaking in John 3:16

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

It’s very easy to become caught up in our lives and the busyness of the every day grind.  How often do you stop and consider your soul?  We go to work and come home and watch our shows and the routine can make us numb to the serious reality of mortality that we all face.  Watching people risk their lives swimming with sharks makes for entertaining TV, but let us remember just how fragile the line between life and death truly is.  We will all take our last breath someday and that is nothing to play around with.

The Bible says now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).  Now, not later!  Today is the day, not tomorrow, because we might not get a tomorrow.  Do not become complacent with your soul!  There is a God in Heaven and He loves you and He is offering His salvation to you!  Forgiveness of sins and Heaven are only offered through faith in Jesus and mankind has no other Savior.  God sets before each of us life or death every day.  What will you choose?  I pray with all my heart that you choose life in Jesus Christ!

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:12

How do you choose Jesus?  By faith!  As the Apostle Paul said,

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

Whether you swim with sharks or not, please consider your eternal soul with all of your heart and remember, none of us are immortal.  We will all face our Creator someday and He offers His free gift of salvation to everyone…and that includes you!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author: Ryan Callahan

Hello, and welcome to my site! I am an independent Christian author (One Man's Very Strange Supernatural Life), blogger, and evangelist for Jesus. My main goal with this blog is to help people come to know Jesus, help people understand the Bible, and to minister to a lost and hurting world. This site is about hope, new beginnings, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love! I'm glad you are here, God bless you! Copyright © 2024 Ryan Callahan. All rights reserved.

37 thoughts on “Risking Their Souls”

  2. Amen, Ryan. Using Shark Week as an analogy for our soul and being ready for our final breath was so good! The divers, I think, are ganbling with their life. I just saw on the news tonight about more shark attacks in Florida. One bit a man’s hand while in his boat.
    Very good writing to remember our soul every day!

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  5. Was just talking about some of this with my boys, they love shark week too! Nature is amazing, and the Creator of creatures is to be revered… for some reason this makes me also think of the late Steve Irwin and his sudden and fateful end. We have to be prepared.

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  8. Ryan, I enjoyed the details from Shark Week, but I appreciate your use of God’s Word even more. With God, we take on life one day at a time. We are humbled by His grace and peace as we wake to enjoy another precious day.

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    1. Thanks Vivian! Yeah, our kids love them. They like the shows about shark attacks the best. 🙂 They love hearing the testimonies from the victims who survived. My daughter is excited to watch the “I Was Prey” episode next. Funny kids. God bless!

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      1. I think Bethany Hamilton’s story is such a testimony of God’s grace and really liked the movie too. My 11 year old son is really into sharks and he loves drawing pictures of them and reading about them. Yes, funny kids.😁🦈

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  11. Thanks for sharing the adventures in shark week. I have never seen the show. I am with you on what seems like testing fate, or more impactful testing God. Yikes! Not I said the fly. Love how you moved us to considering eternity. I pray often for God to draw lost souls, souls headed for death. It is a burden we all share when we follow Jesus. God bless your writing, Ryan. Our world needs you.

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  12. Great post Ryan. My son loves watching sharks and I appreciate the shark for what it is. A magnificent creature God created to keep the oceans clean of dying or dead animals, but I personally am not going swim with them on purpose.

    I love how you transitioned this into a warning, if you will, about their soul and eternity

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  13. You’re right it’s so risky!! Reminds me of Steve Irwin’s death..so sad.

    It’s so foreign to me, the thought of living without God in mind but we know it’s common for so many. Our prayers are incredibly important as we pray for the lost.

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