Have you ever been bitten by a snake?
The other day a lady came into the office. Her arms were badly scratched up. We asked her what had happened. She told us that she was bitten by a snake which she had held in her arms. We wondered aloud why she held a snake in her arms and how she was bitten, cut was a better word, and what kind of snake that could have been? Was it poisonous? After a while she told us with a grin that they used that snake for plumbing problems.
Certainly there are all kinds of snakes. Some are poisonous. Some are deadly without being poisonous. Personally I do not like snakes. You may think that they, the snakes, are dead when suddenly they attack you with uncanny speed. Or they sneak up on you and attack. Or they slowly wrap around their victim then strangle them to death.
There is a story in the Bible about a snake that tempted the first lady in creation to disobey the word of God with disastrous and deadly consequences. The devil had chosen the snake to tempt the lady and she without fear listened, was enticed, thought evil to be good and she bit in an appetizing fruit. I do not know if it was an apple as some believe it was. There are some who do not even believe this story. The trouble is we are still tempted through the poisonous snakes of advertising to have our desires satisfied with whatever stuff whether or not it is what we need, whether or not it is good or bad. The whole field of advertising is build around the theme of want and greed, of becoming better and more knowledgeable.
The attack goes as follows: If you know the good, well and good. If you also know evil than you know more, and you are better of, right? And we are stuck with evil since the day of the first temptation.
How can we escape evil temptations? Can you answer that question?
People have looked into many directions for an answer and have discovered that the Bible teaches us not only the difference between good and evil but it also presents us with a defense against evil temptations. And you what? God is capable and very willing to help us in this battle if we so desire. He sent His only Son Jesus to pave the way, to be the Way for us to walk away from evil temptations. Open the Bible and discover the promises of a faithful God Who will not let you down. Let no snake of whatever type obstruct your way of life and your way into eternal life.
Rev. deJong is a retired CRC minister. He resides in the Aylmer area and attends church at Aylmer Christian Reformed Church.