What's your Viper?

I needed to share this. I went through this study, and it can't stay in my journal for myself.


There are times when I'm reading that I come across a story that I've skimmed by many times, and nothing has jumped out at me before, until this time around. This is one of those times. I've read this story in the bible before, and skimmed passed it. This time, something caught my attention. Paul has gone through a lot before this situation. He's been in jail for years without a plausible cause (more for protection than a crime, and placed on a ship for Rome only to be ship wrecked on an island in the Mediterranean Sea.

Paul gathered a pile of sticks and was putting them on the fire when a poisonous snake came out because of the heat and bit him in the hand. The people living on the island saw the snake hanging from Paul's hand and said to each other, 'This man must be a murderer! He did not die in the sea, but Justice does not want him to live.' But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and was not hurt. The people thought that Paul would swell up or fall down dead. They waited and watched him for a long time, but nothing bad happened to him. So they changed their minds and said, 'He's a god!'" Acts 28:1-6

Everyone saw Paul bitten by a snake. The natives on the island have seen the outcomes of everyone that's been bitten by that type of snake, and probably haven't been good since they're waiting for Paul to "swell up and fall down dead." Instead, he sits by the fire saying to himself, "great, what next," but holding onto God's promise that "do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar." (Acts 26:24)

What's your Viper? What's your poisonous snake? What's our "viper" that might have bitten us that people would look at, and think that we will never recover? Or, that I might think I may never recover from? Was there, or is there, any situation or moment of our lives that would cause others, or even ourselves to think that we won't recover? The damage is done. Nothing can fix it.

"You of little faith. Why do you doubt?" Matt 14:31
"When the Lord All-Powerful makes a plan, no one can stop it." Isaiah 14:27 NCV

Not even me.

"Paul shook the snake off into the fire and was not hurt." Acts 28:5

Whatever whispers or discouraging remarks I may hear from others or from Satan, I need to shake it off, and continue on. The Lord will redeem me. God is faithful, even though my faith falters.

"I believe. Help me overcome my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)

But the people who trust the Lord will become strong again.
They will rise up as an eagle in the sky;
they will run and not need rest;
they will walk and not become tired." Isaiah 40:31

"That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day. Our suffering is light and temporary and is producing for us an eteranl glory that is greater than anything we can imagine." 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

The Lord says it a whole lot better than I can.