While spending a week in Florida, my daughter Jessica, daughter-in-law Cassie and I decided to get up early each morning for a run/walk before it got too hot. I was enjoying the different scenery and taking occasional photos of things that could be seen on a walk in Florida that couldn’t be seen on a walk in Illinois.
Cassie had warned me not to look too hard and told me that when she runs alone down there, she prays that she won’t see anything scary. It is a different place down there for sure, but the nice, wide sidewalk running along A1A gave me a sense of security.
The different scenery was intriguing and kept my attention as we ventured along. I saw a crab that had gotten hit while trying to cross the road. I enjoyed watching white ibises walking along the shrubbery. I found the ones roosted on the telephone wires to be quite comical; that is definitely not something to be seen in Illinois. I fell in love with the gorgeous trees that are so different that what grows here, the tropical plants that grow in the trees and especially the huge rubber tree plant that puts the little ones found in offices back home to shame. Instead of our ordinary dandelions, daisy-like yellow flowers threatened to take over the grass. The coconut lying on the ground was a nice find. However, the garden hose in the brush was not so nice when it turned out to be the fastest black snake that I have ever seen. I screamed as it slithered away at lightning speed, and the girls moved me to the middle of the sidewalk. There was also a lizard plague. I have seen a lot of lizards down there but I have never encountered the hundreds of lizards that formed a constant stream running across the path in front of us. Cassie felt sad for the one she was unable to avoid. I would have been grossed out for sure had I been the unfortunate one to land on it, but I can’t say that I would have been sad. I’m pretty much anti-reptile which meant that I also did not appreciate the 2nd lightning fast black snake in the brush on the way home.
The very worst experience on our run brought a whole new meaning to the childhood phrase, “Don’t step on the crack….” I was thankful that I had paused to take a picture as the girls continued ahead. I was snapping away, trying to get just the right angle when I heard them call back to me, “Just stay there! Stay there!” Apparently, a snake had been lying in the crack of the sidewalk and jumped out as Cassie stepped over the crack. It was much smaller than the black snakes we had seen, but a frightening surprise nonetheless. We had to caution Jessica, who loves to handle snakes, to leave it alone. Although we are pretty sure it was not a poisonous snake, it did hiss and rattle its tail quite a while before it finally decided to slither away into the grass. After three snakes in just one 50 minute walk, I decided that maybe the scenery on a walk in Illinois was a little less frightening than a walk in Florida. We definitely watched for the cracks a little better after that.
You know, I really don’t like snakes. In fact, I’m pretty scared of them. However, there is one snake that is the most dangerous of all. Yet, I’m not afraid of that one. The bible refers to Satan as a serpent. Revelation 12:9 says, “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” Revelation 20:2 makes the reference as well, and of course, Satan is overcome for eternity in Revelation when Jesus returns. These verses in Revelation point back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 3 when the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve, and she and Adam gave into the temptation to eat fruit from the tree that God forbid them to eat from.
Just as Satan was there to deceive and tempt them in the garden, he is still here deceiving us and tempting us today. “You’re problems are too big…. Nobody cares about you…. Go ahead and indulge…. Give in; you’re too weak to overcome…. Have another drink…. Gratify yourself…. You’re worthless…. You can never be good enough…. It’s just a little lie…. You deserve it…. Go ahead and cheat…. Give up…. If God loves you, why is he allowing this to happen to you?…” Satan is a smooth talker who is full of deceit. He wants you to believe that you know better than God, that following Jesus is too hard and that doing things your own way is way more fun than abiding by God’s rules. He wants you to believe that freedom is walking away from God when true freedom is found in Christ.
Just like the snake jumping up out of the crack as the girls passed by, Satan is waiting to pop up when you least expect it. He’s hiding in the crevice, waiting to catch you by surprise, ready to pounce and attack. He’s evil and powerful, but you don’t have to be afraid because if you are a child of God, then “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The Holy Spirit who dwells in you is more powerful than the devil who lurks in the darkness.
Satan is a liar. There is no problem too big for God. You are dearly loved. You don’t need to cheat. Drowning your problems out with drugs, alcohol, food, gambling or anything other than God will not give you lasting peace. When you are tempted, God will provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13). Freedom is in Christ. There is nothing he won’t forgive. Nothing is impossible with him. His power is made perfect in our weakness. He loves you with an everlasting love and no one can snatch you out of the Father’s hand. If you belong to Jesus, Satan has no authority over you. Though he is waiting to attack, you have the power to overcome. The victory is ours in Christ. Don’t be afraid. Be alert. Be victorious.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. ~1 Peter 5:8-11