Be a Barnacle

Imitate the determination of a barnacle. Fasten your life to God and never be moved.

The barnacle is an amazing salt-water crustacean. When they hatch, they swim around like other shellfish. But soon they attach themselves to rocks, the bottoms of ships and the supports of piers. That's because barnacles are encrusters, meaning they attach themselves permanently to a hard surface.

Once a barnacle attaches itself to something, it begins to grow a hard shell around its body. It's called a fouling organism because this tough little creature holds so tight to the hulls of ships that they have to be scraped off—costing shippers hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

Like the barnacle, true Christians must cement our lives to a solid foundation (1 Corinthians 10:4). The bedrock of a right relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ must be our underpinning. Do you tenaciously adhere to the true God through the calm seas and maybe even the rough waters? We are told to “cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). Not to the shifting sands of this worlds failed thinking but we are to hold tightly to everything that is good and godly.

The tough shell of the barnacle is composed of calcite and forms an almost impenetrable shield. It protects it from the elements and all kinds of predators. Be like a spiritual barnacle by putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11-15). Without the shield of faith you can be wounded. So protect yourself from all the elements and stop every attack from the enemy.

Let's imitate the determination of a barnacle. Fasten your life to God and never be moved.