Margaretta Wolf

 "Standing Her Ground"

I expect Margaretta Wolf is going to be well known. It's not that the 96-year- old merchant who lives in Marshfield, Wisconsin did anything great. But the news services are reporting today what Margaretta didn't do.

This past Monday a would-be robber walked into the small store Wolf has operated for the past 54 years. When he demanded that she open the cash register, she replied, "I'm not opening up that cash register and that's it, I'm not opening it. I said you can have all the Tootsie Rolls you want but I am not opening that cash register."

Frustrated by her refusal to give in to his demands, the robber pulled out a knife and ordered her to the back of the store. "I said, 'I'm not walking no place, I'm standing right here.'" When she threatened to push a button which would call for help, the robber fled the scene. He had none of her money (or Tootsie Rolls) as he made his getaway.

Police don't advise responding to muggers the way Margaretta Wolf did. In most cases they urge us to play it safe and give thieves what they demand. Let the police handle things, we are told, rather than risk personal injury. But I can imagine a standing ovation for this woman. We admire her courage, and her resolve to stand her ground.

There has been no bigger bully or no more despicable thief and murderer than Satan (see John 10:10). In Matthew 4 we read of him approaching Jesus at a vulnerable moment, at the end of a 40-day fast. "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread," he hissed into the ear of the hungry Savior (Matthew 4:3).

Jesus, however, stood His ground. "It is written" He replied to this and two other temptations (Matthew 4:4,7,10). In saying so He declared that His faith in God was greater than His voracious hunger, or than His desire for fame and followers. The pull must have been great on Jesus, but He didn't give an inch.

In Ephesians 4:26,27 Paul taught a lesson that many of us need to learn: "'Be angry and do not sin.' Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil." Do we understand that ignoring God's warnings about sin is the first step in letting Satan have his way with us? Some of us, though, are easy marks.

Tom Petty, rock musician, made a song popular that has a line we'd do well to consider: "Well, I won't back down, no I won't back down; you could stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won't back down." May our resolve be like Margaretta's!

Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you'd like to discuss these ideas further.

Timothy D. Hall