It was a lovely warm day in late May, and Tom and Ben went outside with their mother to cover their swimming pool. Out behind their home was a woods, so they had to cover the pool at night to keep leaves and other things from falling into it.
Ben helped his mother on one side, while Tom, who was six years old, went to the other side of the pool to help. They began to pull the heavy cover over the pool. Suddenly in one corner of the pool where a few leaves were floating, they saw something strange moving. Into their view swam a big snake! It was about three feet long and swam gracefully through the water. The boys were excited. Since they lived in the country, they had seen snakes many times. They knew that most snakes in Canada were harmless, so they were not afraid of them. Mother decided to help the snake out of the pool, as they did not care to have it as a guest! She took the skimmer net on a long pole, hoping to catch it in the net and take it into the woods to let it go. But a swimming snake is not easy to catch, and this one was surprisingly quick at avoiding the net.
Suddenly the snake swam to the edge and very easily humped itself up onto the cement around the pool. As Mother tried once again to catch it, it turned angrily and began to strike at the pole and net. To the horror of the three watchers, they also heard a sound - the distinctive rattle that told them that they were dealing with a very aggressive and poisonous rattlesnake! And Mother knew that a rattlesnake bite is dangerous and can kill a person.
The Bible mentions snakes (or serpents) many times. In the first book in the Bible, in Genesis 3:11Now the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? (Genesis 3:1), we are told, “Now the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.” In the last book of the Bible, in Revelation 12:99And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9), it says, “That old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world.” Satan appeared as a snake in the garden of Eden and deceived our first parents, Adam and Eve, into sinning by disobeying God. He has been very successful at deceiving people in this world ever since. Tom and Ben had been interested to see a snake in their pool and wanted to be kind to it. It looked so graceful and nice swimming in the pool, but this one was not harmless. It might do some good but could easily have bitten the boys and their mother. So Satan has been deceiving people for thousands of years by appearing to be good, but then leading them to sin and eventually death. The Bible tells us that “he that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning” (1 John 3:88He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)).
“Run to the deck, boys,” Mother warned, while she tried to fend off the attacking snake. Just then she heard the man next door come out of his house and called for help. As the neighbor approached the fence, the snake darted through the fence and tried to attack him too! There was no thought now of enjoying the snake’s coloring or even of carrying it to the woods. This one was poisonous, and it was attacking people! Quickly the neighbor grabbed a log, and soon the snake was dead at their feet.
Mother was interested to know more about this dangerous visitor who had come for a swim in their pool, so she went inside and called the Wildlife Association. “Yes, it was what is called a Mississauga rattlesnake. But,” the lady went on to say, “you shouldn’t have killed it! They do a lot of good eating bugs and rodents!” That reminds us of many people in this world who do not want to believe that Satan is trying to harm them. Some would even say that he does not exist!
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, then Satan will try to convince you to continue on in your sins. He knows very well that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)). But the same verse tells us that “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Why not come to the Lord Jesus today and have your sins forgiven through the precious blood of Christ?
If you are already saved, Satan knows that he cannot take away your salvation, but he can lead you to sin and dishonor the Lord Jesus. The Bible tells us to “resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:77Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)). When Mother resisted the snake, it tried to attack her. But if we remember that Satan is trying to harm us and ask the Lord for strength to resist him, Satan will flee from us.
ML-08/29/1999