This week is brought to you by the letter S, and the word SNAKE. This formidable character appears on the scene after only two chapters in the Biblical narrative. The enemy creeps his way into the story and begins gaslighting God's perfect creation.

We all know how this concludes... not well. Trust is broken, and humanity is bound. What looked like independence and freedom took the form of sin and shame. The snake was well aware of the endgame. 

Today, in your life and in mine, he is still scheming and strategizing how to pull us from the gaze of Jesus. When we take our eyes off the Shepherd, we start to drift. Satan will do whatever it takes, but he usually hits us in our soft spot, right?

[“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”]
John 10v10

In this passage, Jesus begins by comparing the thief (the enemy) to the True Shepherd (Himself). He is giving us a clear description of both so that we can quickly identify and accurately activate in the moment.   

At the basic level, stealing is “taking something without permission”. It could be time, resources, or relationships. Our adversary is continually causing friction, picking at our confidence, and robbing our joy. Whatever we hold dear — that is what he is coming after with little to no notification. 

On the surface, kill and destroy may seem like synonyms; however, destruction demands more time and results in more ruin. 🌪️ Imagine a natural disaster and the devastation that follows. Now place that illustration within the context of friendships, businesses, churches, and families. 

The thief is cunning and clever. He knows you and your story, so he is equipped to do a splendid job at slaughtering your life in unexpected and unnoticeable ways. This is the place where we attribute blame to any and everything but where it belongs. 

We tend to assume, accuse, and attack because of what we see, hear, and experience, while... 🐍 the snake is being the SNAKE. Let us be attentive to the real enemy and trust our Shepherd to lead us away from his traps and temptations.