People from out of the state specially enjoyed seeing the alligators, and there were many in the river. The park rangers warned visitors about staying out of the water and not feeding them. Alligators have a natural fear of man but can lose their fear if fed by people. However, it was a common practice for canoers to get out of their canoes to push off when they were grounded on a sandbank or stuck on tree roots and to go swimming when they got too hot.

Bradley and his parents and friends were wading the shallow water when his father suddenly missed him. Seeing something white being pulled through the water, his father grabbed at it to find it was Bradley’s T-shirt. Trying to pull his son out of the water, he felt him being tugged back in. To his horror the father discovered that a huge alligator had Bradley in his jaws! He grabbed his son’s leg and held on while others began beating the ‘gator with canoe paddles.

The alligator finally let Bradley go, and his father and the others wrapped the T-shirt tightly around him to try to stop the severe bleeding. Paddling feverishly, they rushed to the nearest place where they could call for help. Soon Bradley was being airlifted by helicopter to the nearest hospital, but he was too badly injured, and it was not long before he died of a fractured skull.

The alligator who killed Bradley was 11-1/2 feet long and weighed between 350 and 400 pounds. When he was later caught and killed, they found his stomach was empty and he had been hungry. He had just quietly slipped through the water and grabbed Bradley. Afterwards he swam over to the other bank and watched, unaffected by the commotion he had caused.

This alligator reminds us of a far worse enemy who is trying to deceive and in the end destroy people. Some think the devil is just a joke, but the Bible, God’s Word, tells us, "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1Peter 5:8).

Satan deceived Eve in the garden of Eden, and he has been trying to deceive mankind ever since. But Jesus defeated the devil at the cross of Calvary where He died for our sins. Someday the devil is going to be cast into the lake of fire forever. But, all those who have believed that Jesus died on the cross for their sins are eternally in Jesus’ hands.

"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 10:28-29).

If that had been you instead of Bradley, would you be in heaven now? Jesus is coming soon to take all Christians up to be with Himself in heaven. All people need to be sure that they are ready. Are you?

"We wrestle…against…the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Ephesians 6:12