The Headless Snake
“Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world…” - 1 John 4:4
BACKPACKING LOCOMOTIVES
Throughout the years, I have enjoyed thousands of outdoor morning times with God. The fun of the sunrise, the chirping of the birds and the beauty of the trees and flowers powerfully speak to my heart of the great reality of God. One time, though, I came across an unexpected and not-too-welcome visitor.
Early one Saturday, I drove to a local junior college to hike up a forested trail that overlooked the east side of the campus. (Rare here in So Cal) Upon my arrival, I grabbed my Bible and trekked up a hill to pray and read.
As I meandered up the path, I became so engrossed in my reading that I failed to notice what was in the trail just front of me. Glancing up, I saw a huge rattlesnake that I was just about to step on. I backed up, grabbed a rock, and slung it hard. To my surprise, it hit the snake squarely behind the head and nearly knocked its head off. What a shot!
SOME FUN!
With a stick in hand, I flicked its deadly head off. Now my cold-blooded snake was really gonna be cold. Looking at my dead possession, I got an idea. I decided to have some fun.
Lifting my headless snake with a stick, I carried it back down the hill and placed it in the middle of the main road inside the campus. I scrambled back up the hill, and hid behind some bushes to see what would happen. It worked way better than I expected.
Within a few minutes, some unsuspecting young lady drove up. She spotted the snake and screeched to a halt. She wouldn’t budge. Traffic began to pile up behind her, but there was no way she was going to drive over that snake. From behind my bush I rolled with laughter as I listened to the barrage of honks and watched the line of cars stretch beyond the campus and up the adjoining road. There must have been 100 cars backed up behind her.
Admittedly, now that I’m older I see the pain of the young lady…but I bet even she laughs about it now.
After five confusing, hilarious minutes, some fellow finally got out of his car to see what the problem was. He discovered the cause of the traffic jam: a headless snake. Frustrated with Miss Timidity, he chucked it aside with a grunt. Traffic began to flow and life returned to normal for everyone—except for Mr. Snake. ☹
GOT ANY HEADLESS SNAKES?
Have you got any “headless snakes” in your path today?
He decides to proceed. When he encounters the lions he is paralyzed with fear. But another man arrives and tells him the lions are chained and cannot touch him as long as he stays in the center of the path. Again Christian is faced with a decision. Will he listen to his fears, or walk in faith? He decides to continue. With one terrified step after another, Christian proceeds safely past the lions and eventually arrives at the great place God has for him.
Often God wants us to take a particular path in our lives, but we hesitate to because of fear. In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian, the main character, is trying to make his way along God’s best route for his life. At one point, a man runs toward him screaming, “There are lions in the road ahead. Don’t go there! Ahhhh!” Then he disappears down a hill. Christian is faced with a decision. Will he follow Christ or will he run away?
Satan is like a roaring lion I Peter 5:8 tells us. There are often times when he roars at us with doubts and fears: “If you obey God nothing will happen.” “You will fail because you’re not skilled enough.” “God doesn’t really know what will make you happy.” Satan makes every effort to throw headless snakes in our paths, to steer us off the road of trusting in God and doing what He wants us to do. His goal is to turn us aside from going forward with God into the new things He has for us.
STAY ON COURSE
In II Corinthians 10:5, we read, “…we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus.” When we reject thoughts that are contrary to the eager confidence and hopefulness that God wants us to have in Him and in His promises to us, we are taking our own thoughts captive. This is an essential part of the Christian life. It’s part of thinking on what is true. (Philippians 4:8) It’s one of God’s key ways for us to enter into the blessing and the promises He has for our lives.
In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were about to enter into the Promised Land. Twelve spies were sent to check out this land. It was a beautiful place, but ten of the twelve spies thought the whole venture was impossible. They were afraid of the many fierce people who lived there. But two men, Joshua and Caleb, knew the task could be done with God’s help.
They believed God was greater than the opposition. The fearful, doubting ten never entered the promised land, yet eventually Joshua and Caleb led all the Israelites not only in but also to victory. With the supernatural help of God, they won great battles, just as they had accurately anticipated.
God calls us to do what we cannot do on our own.
God will call you to do many things in your lifetime that you cannot possibly do on your own. What are you to do? Run because of the difficulties and possible problems? No! They are just dead snakes. You have the Creator of one hundred billion stars in the Milky Way on your side.
Here’s what He says about Himself: “ ‘To whom then will you liken Me that I should be his equal?’ Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars…” He calls them all by name. Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing.” (Isaiah 40:25-26)
With Omnipotence on your side, you cannot fail in whatever He has called you to do—even if there are hundreds of obstacles. If you follow Him, you will succeed in exactly the ways He wants. God’s purposes for you life will come to pass as you obey Him and go forward. God does whatever He pleases. No one and no circumstance can come between you and God’s plans for you as you stay on God’s path and focus on His encouragements rather than Satan’s discouragements.
So be strong and very courageous today. Be bold like the two spies who believed they could be victorious since God was there to help them. Don’t be numbered with the ten discouraged pessimists. Their unbelief caused them to miss God’s great opportunity.
“Do not fear or be dismayed… for the battle is not yours but God’s.” - II Chronicles 20:6
"Do not fear for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about your, for I am your God… surely I will help you. Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10
