Yesterday when I went to the end of our driveway to retrieve the mail from our mailbox, I was mortified to see a snake all coiled up in the ditch about 4 feet in front of me.  Being the brave go-getter of a woman that I am, I moved as stealthily as I could so I did not disturb the serpent from its sunny resting spot and promptly went back inside to the safety of my house.  When my husband got home from work about 20 minutes later I asked him if he’d like to go kill a snake for me!  He asked where it was and was soon headed down to the end of the driveway carrying a hoe, his weapon of choice for this serpent extermination.  Knowing he’d make a quick work of the enemy in the ditch, I went about my business.  Sure enough only about a minute or two later Micah came walking back up the driveway and hung the hoe back in the garage.  I asked how it went and he replied, “Well, I was going to cut its head off but it didn’t have one.”  Someone else had already identified this serpent as a threat and taken care of it!

How often do we shrink back in fear not wanting to rile a perceived threat of the enemy when we see one?  I’m definitely NOT a snake handler…but the creature I thought was so dangerous yesterday really couldn’t harm me at all.  When an obstacle arises between us and progress we need to understand that God has already gone before us and defeated every foe!  Jesus’ death secured victory for us.  Just as Israel was promised in Deuteronomy 31:3, “The Lord your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you and you shall dispossess them,” we can also press on victorious knowing it’s not up to us to defeat the enemy.  We just have to dispossess what’s already been defeated…just move the dead snake out of the way and keep moving in JESUS' victory!