stand guard

Saturday, I was sitting at my desk working on some stuff at the computer when my husband called from the backyard, saying that he needed some help for a few minutes. I quickly left my office and made my way to the backyard, where he was waiting on me. I had assumed he needed some help with the blower, holding the cord so that he wouldn’t drop it in the pool. (that is a whole other devotional thought!) I stepped out the sliding glass door and he said, “I need you to help me for a minute. Will you watch THAT while I go get something to take care of it.”
Immediately, I squeeled like a girl and jumped onto the lounge chair and began to inform him that what he was pointing to was a snake. To which he agreed and said that he knew that already, but asked me to make sure it didn’t move. Yeah right! I was standing in a chair and I would watch it, but I was not going to keep it from moving. In fact, if it did, I would be climbing on the gazebo to get away.
The snake was basking in the sun and enjoying the heat. Partially hidden behind the pool chemicals, I really had no idea how big the snake was. Jim went to get some tools to take care of the snake, while I stood there screaming for him to hurry up. He returned with a hoe and some other thing I don’t know the name of. I was wondering where the shovel was. Waiting on Jim to chop the snakes head off and be done with it, you can’t imagine my surprise when he reached to pick up with the thing I don’t know the name of and then you can’t imagine my irritation when it slithered off that thing and under my pool deck. Not really the plan.
Now, Jim wants me to help him lift the deck so he can look for it. I am thinking, no way! Not getting out of the chair. He lifted one end of the deck and yelled for me to move something under it to hold it up. Frustrated, I leapt from the chair, moved the toy box and quickly jumped back on my perch. Then, Jim looked at me and said, “do you see it.” I am thinking…not looking for it.
We still don’t know where that snake is, which creeps me out a good bit. But it has also made me very aware of how we treat the enemy of our souls like this snake. We stand on a chair and watch, afraid and not wanting to admit that he is lurking. Or perhaps we get bold enough to try to deal, but instead of just killing the enemy dead in it’s tracks, we try moving him around, when we should have just crushed his head. And then we lose track of where he is and don’t have any idea where he will pop up next. All which could be avoided with a big shovel across the back of the head.
The great news is that Jesus did that on the cross. He crushed the head of that nasty serpent. Jesus overcame all that we fear and all that lurks in hidden places to attack. We need not fear what has already been taken care of. Yet, I find myself, still standing on the chair at times.
Maybe it is time to remember that the enemy has lost and we are overcomers in Christ Jesus. Maybe we need to remember that we are victorious and we don’t need to stand in chairs afraid, but rejoice in a Messiah that took care of the serpent. Maybe we need to remember that Jesus didn’t just move satan out of the way, but destroyed all power of sin, death and the grave.
So, while the snake at my house has yet to be found, the enemy of my soul is breathing his last, because HE HAS OVERCOME.
ALL FOR YOU