The Viper

The Viper

Guest Blog Post by Gary Riedel 

S - SCRIPTURE: 

Acts 28:3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened on his hand.

O - OBSERVATION: 

Yikes! A huge storm while on the sea, a shipwreck which they survived and now a viper attaches itself to Paul’s hand. I’m reminded of Numbers 21:4-9. The children of Israel were grumbling again against the Lord God, He sent fiery serpents among them and the bites killed many Israelites. They cried out for mercy and the Lord told Moses to make a brass serpent and hang it on a pole. All who looked at the serpent on the pole would live. Now Paul who has courageously testified about salvation through Jesus even at the risk of death was bitten on the hand by a viper. All waited for him to swell up and die, but he did not, he went on as though nothing had happened. Why was he ok? Because he looked to the cross of Christ for his salvation. God had

more kingdom work for him to do and preserved him in spite of the viper’s bite.

A - APPLICATION: What does all of this have to do with you and I?God chose us to be His own, to be His ambassadors for Christ. 2Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s Ambassadors as 

though God were making His appeal through us. We are to spread the reconciliation of Christ Jesus among our fellowman. Therefore we should move ahead with the task, and not be deterred by a serpent, or by a disease of the devil called Covid. God has important work for His ambassador’s and we must not be deterred. When we are on His mission, He will be with us until the end of the earth, Matt. 28:20. Therefore we will not fear, not because we are foolish braggarts, but because we belong to Him, and humbly we sing, “Take my life and let it be, consecrated Lord to thee.”

P - PRAYER: Almighty God, You have my life in Your hands, help me to serve you with all that I am and have. In Jesus Name, Amen 

Photo by Chris Curry on Unsplash