Lions and Tigers and Boas, Oh My!

Last nights news told of 100,000 boa constrictors loose in Florida. It reminded me of many years ago when we lived in the country and dealt with snakes almost on a daily basis.

Kristen was a pre-schooler and loved to play outside but I was too afraid to let her. One Sunday our pastor, Terry Jones, preached from Numbers 21. The Israelites were grumbling against God so He sent a plague of poisonous snakes. The people repented so God told Moses to erect a pole with a snake on it (symbolizing Jesus on the cross). In my pastors’ paraphrase, “Those who looked at the snakes got bit, those who looked to Jesus were safe (healed).” This was a LIFE word to me. I knew I couldn’t live in fear so the next day I researched snakes in Florida, learned there were only four dangerous ones and from then on, we walked in freedom.

I also think of Paul on the isle of Melita (Acts 8:28) who was bitten by a poisonous snake. He just shook it off! I imagine it was just a distraction to him. He had read Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper” and he had work to do!

It’s not like I would welcome any snake to my home, and I will be cautious (“Walk circumspectly for the days are evil” Eph. 5:15), but it’s good to have a Word to stand on when we hear news like this. One hundred thousand! Where did these guys come from?!