Hearing a big commotion from the house where our guys stayed, we ran from our work area to see what was going on. Ephraim, a young missionary from the northern part of Namibia, stood with a big smile on his face.”Look at this!” he said.
“I was cleaning my room when I felt something hit my leg.” He pointed to a liquid substance running down his dark calf muscle. “I just ignored it and kept cleaning. But when I went to pick up my shoe, something touched my hand. This is what it was!” Ephraim held up a dead snake. From across the room, a spitting cobra had hit a potential victim from his dark hiding place. How happy we were that the snake chose to spit rather than strike when Ephraim picked up his shoe. A young man believed that God had rescued him… and we stood in amazement.
The snake in the Garden struck in a way that poisoned all mankind and God cursed him. “Cursed are you above all livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)
Do you remember the dramatic scene of Jesus stomping the snake in Mel Gibson’s movie, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST? What a victory the Second Adam won as He defeated the devil and brought life to fallen man. (see Romans 5)
But we still see the evil one at work in this world. How cunning he remains as he seeks to poison every man and every woman. We can trust, though, that his time is short. Keep your eyes on the Savior who was lifted up and who brings us all victory!
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” Romans 16:20