Good day dear friends.
Growing up and eavesdropping on conversations between my mother and her sisters, other cousins, and aunts, sometimes I would hear my mom or someone else in the conversation say about a person being discussed, "Oh she's been around since snakes walked upright!" Being young I would think, they did? I hadn't yet made the connection to the biblical story or may not have paid that close attention to the snake in the Adam and Eve story yet.
Last night at youth the topic was on fear so it seemed a natural place to take the fear of snakes to Genesis 3. The story opens with a description of the snake ("serpent") as being more "crafty" or some other word describing its tendency to deceive. I asked the kids what they noticed about the snake's abilities, and one said, "It lies!" I said, back it up a bit, and someone correctly replied, "It can talk!"Yes, and we can imagine it's have a face to face conversation with this woman, and she's apparently not afraid of this snake as many would be. And it could carry on a face-to-face conversation because it walked upright. Texans can easily imagine a six-foot rattler having a face to face with someone if it walked upright. Most Texans can easily imagine running away from an upright snake!
Temptation comes sometimes in weird form. It may not resemble the usual. In fact that's why we sometimes give in because we think it's either too good, or too easy not to pass up whatever invitation temptation has brought. That's why internet scams find so many takers: the idea of easy or fast money can't be passed up and desperation keeps us from thinking through the offer. You probably get the tons of postcards or letters advising us of money, cars, lands, vacations, etc. that are ours if we will just do, and usually they want our credit or bank account number. Gotcha!
God wants us to "be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Mat 10:16). In other words astute about what's being offered in the form of a potential sin, and to not give in. Many a time we've walked away from a potential sin and we may have even shaken our heads and said, "I can't believe I walked away from that" only to not very much later have said, "Thank God, He helped me walk away otherwise I would be..."
We're the ones who walk upright. Let's be upright with God.
PRAYER: Loving Father, we thank You for Your presence with us. Let me walk upright today in my spiritual walk. Make me as wise as a serpent to see what is really being offered or said to me, and let me be able to walk away from that which will harm me or others. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
Growing up and eavesdropping on conversations between my mother and her sisters, other cousins, and aunts, sometimes I would hear my mom or someone else in the conversation say about a person being discussed, "Oh she's been around since snakes walked upright!" Being young I would think, they did? I hadn't yet made the connection to the biblical story or may not have paid that close attention to the snake in the Adam and Eve story yet.
Last night at youth the topic was on fear so it seemed a natural place to take the fear of snakes to Genesis 3. The story opens with a description of the snake ("serpent") as being more "crafty" or some other word describing its tendency to deceive. I asked the kids what they noticed about the snake's abilities, and one said, "It lies!" I said, back it up a bit, and someone correctly replied, "It can talk!"Yes, and we can imagine it's have a face to face conversation with this woman, and she's apparently not afraid of this snake as many would be. And it could carry on a face-to-face conversation because it walked upright. Texans can easily imagine a six-foot rattler having a face to face with someone if it walked upright. Most Texans can easily imagine running away from an upright snake!
Temptation comes sometimes in weird form. It may not resemble the usual. In fact that's why we sometimes give in because we think it's either too good, or too easy not to pass up whatever invitation temptation has brought. That's why internet scams find so many takers: the idea of easy or fast money can't be passed up and desperation keeps us from thinking through the offer. You probably get the tons of postcards or letters advising us of money, cars, lands, vacations, etc. that are ours if we will just do, and usually they want our credit or bank account number. Gotcha!
God wants us to "be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Mat 10:16). In other words astute about what's being offered in the form of a potential sin, and to not give in. Many a time we've walked away from a potential sin and we may have even shaken our heads and said, "I can't believe I walked away from that" only to not very much later have said, "Thank God, He helped me walk away otherwise I would be..."
We're the ones who walk upright. Let's be upright with God.
PRAYER: Loving Father, we thank You for Your presence with us. Let me walk upright today in my spiritual walk. Make me as wise as a serpent to see what is really being offered or said to me, and let me be able to walk away from that which will harm me or others. I pray this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
