Have you ever heard someone say, "Better watch out for old so-and-so; he's a real snake in the grass!" Well, after this morning's brush with death (OK, maybe that's a little exaggerated), I'll have a new appreciation for the phrase. Let me explain...
Early this morning, I went outside to water the flower beds. As I walked over to the side of the house to turn on the hose, my heart raced as I heard a rustling sound at my feet. I looked down, just in time to see a large black snake slither out of sight into the tall grass along the fenceline. (I had nearly stepped on him!) By the time I went to the garage, got not one but two shovels, and returned to the scene, the snake was gone.
I should've been glad, but instead, I couldn't stop wondering where else in my yard he was hiding. You see, may I remind you I have 4 daughters...and so far, none of them seem to be particularly excited about snakes. So, I spent the next 30 mins combing the tall grass around the A/C units, along the fence line, in my overgrown flower beds. Never did find that guy...
There are probably lots of lessons to be learned here (never water the flowers in flip-flops; always carry a shotgun with you before 7am; teach all family members how to suck the venom out of a snake bite; move someplace where they don't have big, black snakes!), but I want to share one simple observation:
My grass is too tall.
You see, if I had done a better job mowing, edging, and weed-eating my lawn, it would have been a less-attractive hiding place for snakes. (As any golfer knows, if you always keep your ball in the fairways, you don't have to worry about those "Beware of rattlesnakes" signs. Snakes like the security of the "rough" more than manicured greens. Duh!) So, because I have allowed my yard to become a residential dream for reptiles...it's no wonder he moved into the neighborhood.
Now, let's bring this closer to home. In my spiritual life, I need to be careful not to let the enemy slither undetected into the tall grass. I want my heart to be safe. I want to protect my family from danger. So, the tall grass of temptation needs to be mowed regularly. The weeds of unforgiveness make a great hiding place for the enemy of my soul. As the 23rd Psalm says, "Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil." Be alert. Watch and pray. Guard your heart.
Always, be on the watch for a snake in the grass...but also, keep the grass short enough that you can see him. (...and then chase him away with not one, but two Holy Spirit Shovels!)
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I often don't expect to hear or see un-friendlies in my yard as I focus on a task. My mind cascades with activities that absorb my thoughts. So, anyone's normal reaction to rustling around in the grass is triggered and processed by our senses – sight and hearing. We respond based on what we see and hear. Often times that is how we respond to our natural world, real-time situations. Our senses tend to lead us in stressful situations. Hence our senses lead us instead of our spirit man. For instance, Pastor David's current sermon series has touched on King Nebuchadnezzer, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fast forwarding in faith. Let me introduce you too how this whole story got started. Nebuchadnezzer reacted to what he was told by his advisers. Wait a minute: does not the bible say to seek counsel... However, unsolicited it was. He surrounded himself with advisers. In other words, Nebuchadnezzer, was not saved, applied a Proverb to his life. Folks that aren't saved but apply God's word to their lives – “wassup with that”. That's another sermon for Pastor David.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, since Nebuchadnezzer reacted out of what he was told – using his hearing sense. His actions sparked the challenge to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego's faith in God. How many of us can say when confronted with this situation we would respond spiritually and not naturally with our senses? My point is this: not only should we keep our grass low by staying in the word, but we should be able to graduate from responding with our senses in stressful situations to calm with our spirit man. Because just like Pastor David preached, we must fast forward our faith under stress. Just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fast forwarded their faith – in the end, the word says they were promoted. You too my be in a situation as you read this that appears to be hopeless. But if you endure while you're in the furnace, no matter how hot things get, you too will be promoted in the end.