My pastor once said, “Sometimes a snake is just a snake.”
He was referring the story of Paul in the New Testament. Paul’s had a rough couple of weeks. He’s arrested, and then put on a ship to Rome. The ship wrecks and he washes up on an island. He’s out gathering firewood when he gets bit by a poisonous snake. He shakes the thing off and lives to tell the tale.
Some people want to connect the snake in Paul’s story with the original ole Snake, the great Liar and Enemy himself. Our Pastor teaches that this was probably just a snake that happened to be sleeping under the log that Paul picked up for the fire. He did the ‘snake’ thing and bit Paul.
He uses this story as backdrop to teach us try not to assign spiritual significance to every little thing.
So how does this relate to my life?
I’ve been thinking a great deal lately about what God’s wants me to do with my gifts, and talents.
At one point in my life, about 3 or 4 years ago, I thought I really had it figured out. But when I got to very precipice of decision, I backed away. As soon as I hit a little snag, or a little resistance, I found something else to pursue.
My walk started to suffer. I would spend less time in the Word, less time in prayer.
Then about 2 years ago, I was talking with a friend and explaining some of this to him. An opportunity had surfaced in my life which made me think that God was pointing me back towards the path I had abandoned earlier.
I told my friend “I’m pretty sure God wants me to ….”
My friend’s response caught me off guard. He said “What God wants is YOU!”
That’s not what I expected to hear. The opportunity never panned out and I fell back into my ‘normal’ routine.
Then today, I had a conversation with a former co-worker, and another possible opportunity seemed to present itself.
So I have to ask myself, is this God pointing me back to that path yet again? How impossible it would be for me to understand the kind of love and grace He shows.
Or “is a snake just a snake” and I’m reading way too much into these events.
He was referring the story of Paul in the New Testament. Paul’s had a rough couple of weeks. He’s arrested, and then put on a ship to Rome. The ship wrecks and he washes up on an island. He’s out gathering firewood when he gets bit by a poisonous snake. He shakes the thing off and lives to tell the tale.
Some people want to connect the snake in Paul’s story with the original ole Snake, the great Liar and Enemy himself. Our Pastor teaches that this was probably just a snake that happened to be sleeping under the log that Paul picked up for the fire. He did the ‘snake’ thing and bit Paul.
He uses this story as backdrop to teach us try not to assign spiritual significance to every little thing.
So how does this relate to my life?
I’ve been thinking a great deal lately about what God’s wants me to do with my gifts, and talents.
At one point in my life, about 3 or 4 years ago, I thought I really had it figured out. But when I got to very precipice of decision, I backed away. As soon as I hit a little snag, or a little resistance, I found something else to pursue.
My walk started to suffer. I would spend less time in the Word, less time in prayer.
Then about 2 years ago, I was talking with a friend and explaining some of this to him. An opportunity had surfaced in my life which made me think that God was pointing me back towards the path I had abandoned earlier.
I told my friend “I’m pretty sure God wants me to ….”
My friend’s response caught me off guard. He said “What God wants is YOU!”
That’s not what I expected to hear. The opportunity never panned out and I fell back into my ‘normal’ routine.
Then today, I had a conversation with a former co-worker, and another possible opportunity seemed to present itself.
So I have to ask myself, is this God pointing me back to that path yet again? How impossible it would be for me to understand the kind of love and grace He shows.
Or “is a snake just a snake” and I’m reading way too much into these events.
