The sun burned hot on David and Sidney as they worked in the Texas cotton field, chopping out the weeds with their hoes. David’s brother Leslie came out to the edge of the field. David and Sidney, glad to take a break from the heat, stopped work for a few minutes to talk with Leslie. As they walked to the fence where Leslie was standing, Sidney suddenly froze. He looked at Leslie and yelled, “JUMP!”
Leslie got a puzzled look on his face and didn’t do anything.
Without saying another word, Sidney pushed Leslie right off his feet so hard that he landed sitting down on the road. Suddenly, David saw it too. Leslie had been standing right on top of a coiled rattlesnake! Sidney was faster than David and took his hoe and killed the snake.
What do you think Leslie thought about that? Do you think that he asked Sidney, “Why did you push me down?” Do you suppose David was angry at Sidney for pushing his brother over? No, Leslie looked surprised at first, but after he saw the snake he thanked Sidney for knocking him off that snake! Wouldn’t you?
But have you ever considered thanking God for the warnings He has given you in the Bible? He has warned you about the end of a life of sin so that you may be saved from a far greater danger than a rattlesnake.
God’s Word, the Bible, tells us that “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:44Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4)). “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:1212So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)). The Bible says, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:1717The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. (Psalm 9:17)). It is a loving God who gives you these warnings so that you will receive the salvation that He offers through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. “These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name” (John 20:3131But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (John 20:31)).
You will not likely ever have such a strange experience as thanking someone for pushing you off a rattlesnake, but you do need to thank the Lord Jesus for His death upon the cross of Calvary. He suffered and died so that you might be forgiven. Have you thanked Him?
ML-11/18/2001