“He began to sense an intimacy in these canyon walls, far removed from the vast emptiness and homelessness of the desert. They gave him a feeling of protection.”
–Zane Grey (Stranger From the Tonto)
“I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down.”
–Proverbs 24:30-31 (NLT)
—————————–
You may have read or heard of the woman in Fredericksburg, VA who walked into a Longhorn Steakhouse and was struck in the foot by a copperhead. A person never knows. There are snakes waiting out there just to strike and sink their fangs into the unsuspecting. Imagine that though, a public place, a restaurant. That’s why when going anywhere, you have to be aware. It is one thing to enter their habitat and get struck, but another for something like this to happen.
I remember reading years ago, I think from “Pennsylvania Game and News,” of a couple of guys getting ready to walk through some tall grass. One fellow had stovepipes on the bottom of his legs. As they were walking, the man in the lead would hear a “ping” every now and then. When they crossed the field he turned and asked what that sound was. The other man with the stovepipes said, “Those were rattlesnakes hitting my legs.” The first man almost swallowed his teeth.
But they were traveling in the home of the snake. How about Maddie Ross? You remember her from “True Grit.” She fell backward into a pit that had snakes in it and was struck by one. Rooster Cogburn had to go into the pit to retrieve her and from the ordeal she lost her arm.
If a person purposely goes into the dens of iniquity there is a good chance they could be struck, and the fangs of sin will sink deep leaving its poison and painful mark. Sometimes they lay there and die. Once in a while there will be a man with “true grit” who will come and pull them out and rescue them.
That is the person who walks in the “snake’s territory.” But we are hearing of people being struck in “civilized” areas. Places where snakes are not normally found. That is a reminder, that when we walk through this world, we need to be mindful of the surroundings. Watch your step. Be careful where you put your hands. Makes sure your eyes go where they should.
Satan will attack, shooting his arrows, from anywhere. He is subtle, yet at times he is bold. As the end draws nearer he will become more and more bold. If he attacks more and becomes more blatant how in the world will you make it? How can you survive? The same as always, through faith. Ah, but there is the clincher–do you have the faith? Faith comes from hearing (and reading) the Word of God. It is through faith that you can withstand the attack of the devil.
“In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
–Ephesians 6:16 (HCSB)
In every situation, every circumstance, we need to have faith. However, you are the key; what choices do you make? Are you in the Word enough?
—————————–
Have you made your home secure? Training children is tough work, and it takes perseverance. Diligence to the Word of God is needed, and daily steadfastness. Build the proper walls around your home. Make sure that the enemy cannot break through them. Make them high enough, and strong enough, that your home is secure.
Do not allow your home to teach the ideas of entitlement. That lazy attitude will lead to the ruin of your children. Guard the walls of truth and present it to home constantly. Life is not a game. Life is preparation for eternity.