Something was wrong; but what?
We had been getting lots of eggs from our hens, but suddenly we didn’t.
At least we couldn’t find them.
Sometimes hens hide their eggs and then sit on them hoping to hatch out some little chicks.
Was that happening?
Gary was working in the chicken yard getting rid of some pesky weeds the chickens wouldn’t eat, and suddenly he saw a long, black snake at his feet. He quickly sliced it into with his hoe, and low and, behold — what came out looked like rich, yellow egg yolks.
Yes, there was a snake in the chicken coop gobbling up the eggs.
The hens were cackling and making a fuss as Gary continued to cut the snake in pieces. He left it in the pen.
When he came back the next day, the hens and roosters had eaten the snake and were back to laying normally in their usual places.
Case solved.
Order restored.
You know, it is wonderful how God created instincts and survival knowledge in the animals and birds. I remember when the rains came and a hen made a little hill in her coop for her baby chicks to get on to be safe from the water.
The will to survive is strong; in most everything.
In scripture, the snake often represents the devil, or evil, or evil power. Think about the Garden of Eden. The snake was the form temptation came in, arguing with Eve about what God really said and what God would really do.
God promised, however, that the serpent’s head would be crushed — and Christ did win the battle over evil. He won the victory on the cross and in His resurrection.
Do we entertain snakes?
Well, not literally. But do we allow the devil to hang around in our lives and tempt us? Bring doubt into our spiritual lives. Make us dissatisfied? Find fault with our loved ones? Choose self over service? Make us sleep in instead of participating in worship? Squander our money and time?
Allowing snakes entrance into our lives, our families, or workplace is very dangerous.
The Bible says, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13)
We are to be alert to avoid getting into situations of temptation: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)
When you see temptations slithering into your life, get your spiritual weapons out and get rid of what is leading you astray.
Jesus won the war, but we are still in the battle!
