Wednesday Devotional

Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the LORD God had made. "Really?" he asked the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?" (Genesis 3:1)

I read a story this week about a young son of a missionary in Zaire. The boy was playing in the yard when suddenly he heard his father yell to him from the porch, "Philip, obey me instantly! Drop to your stomach!" Without hesitation the boy did as his father commanded. His father then commanded, "Now crawl to me as fast as you can!" Again, the boy immediately obeyed.
"Now stand up and run to me!" Philip responded without questioning and ran into his fathers arms.
When Philip turned around and looked back at the tree where he was standing, he saw a huge, poisonous snake hanging from one of the branches.
Perhaps you are a lot like Philip and you don't even know it. Life seems to be going well as you playfully enjoy the circumstances God has placed you in.
But wait; there is always the possibility of a snake sneaking up behind you- ready to strike. In fact, I believe that there are many of you out there that have been led to read this devotion because you do, in fact, have a venomous viper equipped to eat your spiritual lunch.
That's a scary thought- I know. But the good news is that you have a Father who watches over you 24/7, and He is ready to warn you at the first sign of danger.

(O.K. Lane, you sorta lost me in this analogy...could you please be a little more concrete?)

Sure!
The snakes that sneak up on you come in all shapes and sizes, but they are all very dangerous. The little ones could be the internet sites you 'accidentally' visit, the programs you watch, the music you listen to- anything that seems harmless enough, but in reality it is poisoning your walk with Christ.
The bigger snakes are situations like hanging out with the wrong crowd, going to 'those' kinds of parties, letting bitterness take root, dabbling with the occult or dropping out of church. These are the reptiles that can ruin your relationship with God permanently.
Remember- Satan has been hissing the same strategy since the days of Adam and Eve. It basically boils down to one phrase: 'did God really say?'
You can fill in the blank. Did God really say that I shouldn't ___________?

"Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour." (I Peter 5:8)

I think you probably get the picture. So what does it sound like when God sends a warning? Well, it could be the very thing that you are reading right now! He also speaks through godly friends, sermons/lessons, personal prayer and Bible study, and occasionally even strange co-incidences that really aren't.
Listen! Is anyone shouting instructions your way? Think about it-Philip could have been like most kids and said 'hang on a second' or 'in a minute' to his father...but those would have been the last words he ever spoke. Perhaps this is the week you need to read the handwriting on the wall instead of listening to the snake in the grass!

P.A.