An Encouraging Word

The year was 1993 and we had just moved into our new home as the Pastor of First Baptist Church, Indianola, MS. Within a week of moving, my wife informed me that she had seen a snake in the back yard. I went out to investigate but it slithered into a large woodpile and disappeared. Being the man of the house, I did not want her to know that I was scared to death of snakes. So I said to her, “Honey, it is a harmless little reptile. But I will be sure to kill it if I see it again.” She was going to Walmart that day so I asked her to buy me a hoe. If she would buy me a hoe, I would have it ready when the snake came out of the wood pile. She was so proud that her man was going to kill the snake for her.

About a week went by and one Saturday afternoon we were in the backyard when we saw the snake. Lisa screamed, “Kill it, kill it!” I knew the time had come. I would kill the snake and be my wife’s hero. I would make her proud. So I kept my eyes on the snake and said to my wife, “Did you buy me a hoe?” “Yes” she said, “it’s in the storage room.” And I said, “Get it for me. I’ll keep my eyes on the snake while you get the hoe.” And when Lisa put the hoe in my hand, it felt much lighter than I expected. I had wanted her to buy me a six foot hoe and instead she bought me a six inch hoe! Now here I am about to do battle with a five foot snake with a six inch hoe!  My confidence was draining quickly. The snake slithered away and we never saw him again.

As I look back on that incident, I came to the conclusion that many of us are trying to fight a five foot snake with a six inch hoe. When Adam was in the garden, he fell victim to the serpent. Every day in our lives, the serpent is after us, and many times he tricks us and deceives us. We must learn how to fight the serpent in our lives. God gives us many tools to help us fight the serpent. He gives us the Bible, prayer, church, friends, faith, and common sense. But most of us don’t call upon God for help. We use our own intellect and strength to fight the serpent and most of the time we lose. It’s like fighting a five foot snake with a six inch hoe.

As we look into our scripture today, I want you to examine your battles with the serpent. Think about the times when you have resisted the serpent and the times when he has enticed you into sin. I encourage you not to fight the serpent on your own power or you will surely lose the battle. But when you rely on God and trust in Him, you can be better prepared to stand your ground when the serpent comes your way.

Be encouraged,

Pastor Rob