Tag: snakes

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

How about some snakes?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Numbers 21.

In response to persistent tears and tantrums, my dad said, “If you want to cry, I’ll give you something to cry about!” That straightened us right up, so he never actually had to follow through with that promise.

As I read through numbers, I see a pattern developing. Another day in the wilderness, another complaint from God’s people. The journey isn’t what they expected. “We loathe this worthless food,” that is, the manna God graciously and powerfully provides every day (Numbers 21:5). Oh really? You think this is bad? How about about some snakes!

Attitudes change when people start dying from venomous snake bites. They ask Moses to pray for them. The snakes don’t go away. But Moses puts a bronze snake on a pole. Snake bite? Look at the snake on the pole and you’ll be fine.

I guess if you step back and look at the bigger picture, this episode makes sense. Life’s not easy, but it’s not God’s fault. Remember the serpent in the garden? Remember God’s promise of his defeat (Genesis 3:15)? You do now!

You also need to remember that this is the wilderness, not the promised land. You’re in coach with hardly any leg room, no peanuts, long lines, turbulence, and frequent delays. You can complain all you want, but it’s not going to do much good.

You’ll get there. And then it will be great!

Posted in flash fiction

Snakes?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Wait a minute. That’s not a shadow. It’s moving on it’s own. That’s a slither. It’s a snake. A black snake silently glided through the garden mulch into the woods next door.

“Hey, if you’re here to eat mice or rats, come back any time.”

Yeah, I talk to animals sometimes. I whistle at the birds. My dog patiently listens to my random thoughts as we walk. Why not talk to the snake? My neighbor caught a bunch of mice in his attic. Rats have gnawed at spots on my wooden fence. Maybe he can help me out.

A few days later, he was back. Wait a minute. Do two of them? Two three-foot black snakes. I guess he thought it was OK to bring a friend.

Within a week, the news spread. I counted five of them. They didn’t even crawl away when I opened the garage door. “Hey, I didn’t say you could bring all your family and friends. Get out of here! My wife is going to freak out.”

This is creepy. Ok, so there aren’t any mice in the area. But my yard is not a snake sanctuary. They have to go.

Is that a hawk perched in the pine tree. I chuckled, “Hey, can I interest you in some snakes?”