29 October 2009 Devotion for Today "Watch Out for Snakes" Psalm 58

29 October 2009 Devotion for Today "Watch Out for Snakes" Psalm 58

The other morning I was starring out the window when something
interupted my gaze. It wiggled on the deck beneath the outdoor
furniture. It caught my dog's attention also, who scratched at the
double doors beside me, whimpering excitedly. She darted beneath
the table and pawed at the thing and then jumped back nervously. Only
then could I tell what this "thing" was- a small grass snake had slithered
over the deck in an attempt to find a place to sun himself. Mandy,
a brown and white Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, began to bark and jump
excitedly around the snake. I thought I might try to kill it, but the grass
snake moved quickly into the grass and down into the ditch never to be seen again.
It was a harmless little snake, I thought, so I did not bother with it any more.

Not all such snakes are as harmless. Poisonous snakes are rare on
the continent where we live- but in our native Virginia and North Carolina
in America poisonous Cottonmouths, Rattle snakes and Copperheads abound.
Still, there is another variety of serpent that David
describes in Psalm 58. He speaks of "the wicked who are estranged from
the womb; they go astray, as soon as they are born, speaking lies."
(verse 3). "Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are
like the deaf cobra that stops its ear, which will not heed the voice
of charmers, charming ever so skillfully." (Verses 4-5).

David had countless entertainers at court. The snake charmer has
been a delight to audiences since ancient times. Apparantly David saw
such a feat that did not go as planned. The venom of the cobra is
one of the deadliest and kills within minutes. If the cobra is
especially aggressive, the skill of the snake charmer is wasted on him.
The snake will be relentless in his pursuit of death, no matter how
skillful the charmer may be. This is because he "stops his ear."

David observed that some people are like that. They not only spread
vicious lies, but they tell them so much that they actually believe
these lies themselves. They will not listen, not even to the most
persuasive person around. They hear only what they want to hear and do
not want to listen to reason. Their minds are only bent on destruction.
In a situation like this, nothing can be done except call upon the
intervention of God to stop the flow of venom, "Break their teeth in
their mouth, O God!" Verse 6.

It would be a good thing altogether to avoid contact with such people.
However, many times it cannot be helped. There are those times when
we are so close to them, we do not notice them or what they are doing-
like when I was starring obliviously from my window. If that snake
had been a cobra or a viper, no doubt my precious Mandy would be gone by now.
Such is the danger that earthly snakes can do. But there is a deadly
venom that such wickedness brings with the variety of snakes
which walk on two legs. Be very careful and cautious. There is no
use to try to reason with such a one or else you may be bitten yourself.
Call upon the Lord to deal with the person and withdraw altogether if
you can.

Prayer: Dear Lord help me to watch my way as dangerous snakes as those
that seek my demise are all about me. Help me be mindful of their
dangers. Most of all, keep me from being one myself.

May the Lord give you a blessed day!

(from August 9, 2000)