THE BEAUTIFUL SNAKE

On my way home from school very early one morning -at about 5:30am- I ran into a snake along the small bushy part I ply home. It was the most beautiful snake I had ever seen. Its dominant colors were green and yellow –some parts darker than others. There were also some lemon-like patches on it. The mix of bright and flashy colors deceived my eyes such that I thought I saw some blue patches as well. Though I was at a safe distance away from it, but like Moses in the bible, curiosity made me draw nearer to see the great sight properly –how a snake can be that beautiful.

As I drew closer, all common sense dissolved and the beauty made me forget the personality. The closer I moved, the nearer it drew towards me. “It must be harmless” I thought. When I was finally in front of it, I bent down and put my hand on it –around the middle section. It moved to my touch and slowly started curling round my hand. I placed the second hand on its head and pet it as I would have a dog.
Just then, while I was now too comfortable, it struck the hand I was petting it with –sharply reminding me of its personality. I tried shaking it off but it was firmly wrapped around one hand and had its teeth buried in the other, gently releasing its venom. Gradually, my body began to go numb and my struggles started to cease. Just as I was about becoming unconscious, help came in form of a watchman bearing a lamp and a cutlass. He detached the snake from me, hacked it to death with his cutlass. He also sucked out the venom from my hand and took me to his house for further care.

Maybe you are commenting on how foolish I was to play with a snake or how lucky I was to have been saved. Whichever the case may be, the story is not just about me. It’s about you, it’s about us all. Many believers are just like me. With the way sin is packaged and presented these days, many of us are easily deceived. We often allow the packaging to make us forget the package is still sin. We often get so deep in it until the rewards start to draw us back to our senses. At times, we even try to fight it afterwards but usually to no avail.

Nevertheless, there is hope. The watchman (Jesus Christ) is still there to save you. He knows what you are going through and He will not leave you, but He needs your permission before He can save you. Will you permit Him? Or will you rather lie on the ground hopelessly until all is lost?

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let's not let it slip through our fingers. We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

HEBREWS 4:14-16 MSG Bible

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