THE WOLF
Soft voice. Hidden teeth. Open eyes.
Sometimes danger does not announce itself.
Sometimes it arrives quietly, dressed in something familiar.
DEDICATION
First, to the Holy Spirit — whose quiet guidance is available to each one of us.
For the prompting placed on my heart to write life stories that continually point me back to Jesus. For helping me recognize the territory we are walking through and for teaching me to see with clearer eyes.
To my beautiful wife, Marty — the woman I continue to grow with and flourish beside.
Your love, patience, and laughter remain one of God’s greatest gifts in my life.
And to you, the reader — willing to pause, engage, and consider something deeper.
Something worth thinking about.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
— Matthew 7:15 (NKJV)
THE HOOK
Some arrive smiling.
Some speak softly.
Some even sound spiritual.
In nature, wolves are rarely seen before they are felt.
THE STORY
They move quietly through forests and across open land, traveling great distances without drawing attention to themselves.
A wolf can travel nearly twenty-eight miles in a single day — silently crossing forests, ridges, and valleys without ever being seen.
Yet when wolves return to an area, everything begins to shift.
The deer move differently.
The smaller predators adjust.
Even the landscape begins to change.
The presence of a wolf changes how everything moves.
Jesus used this same imagery when He warned His followers.
Not about obvious danger.
But about wolves disguised as sheep.
It didn’t take long in life to realize this truth wasn’t limited to forests.
Sometimes wolves show up in boardrooms.
Sometimes they sit across the table in business meetings.
Sometimes they walk through the door wearing the memory of a friend.
For forty-five years I ran a business where trust mattered.
Loyalty mattered.
Character mattered.
And when trust breaks, it leaves a mark.
Most people who walked through the door were good people — hardworking people trying to build something meaningful.
But every once in a while, a wolf slipped through.
Not with fangs showing.
With a smile.
THE MOMENT (BAM)
Discernment rarely arrives with dramatic warning signs.
More often, it begins as a quiet signal.
A detail that doesn’t quite add up.
A story that almost makes sense…
but not quite.
Those small signals matter.
Over the years I spent time around men trained to notice what others miss.
Law enforcement officers.
Men whose safety depended on recognizing danger before it fully revealed itself.
They paid attention to the small things.
A shift in tone.
A glance that lingered too long.
Behavior that didn’t quite match the story being told.
Discernment lives in those small moments.
It isn’t suspicion.
It’s awareness.
And awareness does not make a person cynical.
It makes them awake.
THE TURN
Scripture also speaks of another role many people overlook.
The watchman.
A watchman didn’t live among the sheep.
He stood on the wall.
His responsibility was simple.
Pay attention.
If danger approached, he sounded the warning.
Not to create fear.
But to give people time to wake up.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman… therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them.”
— Ezekiel 3:17 (NKJV)
Jesus warned us that wolves would come dressed like sheep.
Not because He wanted us suspicious of everyone.
But because He wanted us awake.
Discernment is not the absence of love.
It is love with eyes open.
One of the hardest lessons in life is learning the difference between compassion and access.
I don’t confuse compassion with access.
Forgiveness is a command.
Trust is a decision.
You can forgive someone and still recognize the pattern of a wolf.
You can pray for someone and still understand that their place in your life may need to change.
Discernment does not remove love.
It protects it.
The goal is not to fear wolves.
It is to stay close to the Shepherd.
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
— John 10:11 (NKJV)
The Shepherd never promised wolves wouldn’t come.
But He did teach us how to recognize them.
When we stay close to the Shepherd, we begin to see the world through His eyes.
Calm.
Clear.
Aware.
And wolves are easier to recognize when you know the Shepherd.
THE REFLECTION
Have you ever ignored that quiet signal inside you — the one that said something wasn’t right?
Most of us have.
Sometimes we ignore it because we want to believe the best about people.
Sometimes because we want to avoid conflict.
And sometimes because the wolf looks too much like a sheep.
Discernment isn’t about judging people.
It’s about learning to see clearly.
And clarity is a gift.
One that protects not only your life…
but the lives of those around you.
WALKAWAY LINE
Discernment is not suspicion.
It is love with eyes open.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
When something inside you quietly signals that something isn’t right…
do you listen?
Or do you explain it away?
MY PRAYER
Heavenly Father,
Give me the wisdom to walk in love without losing discernment.
Help me keep my heart soft but my eyes open.
Teach me to forgive where You call me to forgive and to set boundaries where wisdom requires it.
Keep me close to the Shepherd so fear never leads me — only truth.
And when those quiet signals come, give me the courage to listen.
Amen.
ABOUT G~
G~ writes from lived experience — exploring identity, authority, and time through the lens of faith, trial, leadership, and surrender.
His reflections are not meant to condemn or hype, but to steady.
Rooted in covenant, forged through adversity, and anchored under the authority of Jesus Christ, his work invites readers to examine who governs their lives — and to live intentionally under truth.
If what you’ve read resonates with your journey, feel free to reach out.
G~