Can you find the snake?

For several weeks, I would see this picture showing up on my Facebook feed.  The prompt was to find the snake hidden among the turtles.  Try as I might, I could not find that sneaky snake.  The more I tried, the more my thoughts turned to the time in which we live.  We have many snakes hidden among us.  Some of you might call me judgmental but I’d like to suggest it might be wise to look and find those sneaky snakes hidden among us. 

Surely, you’ve heard of the saying “a snake in the grass” or a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” both of which refer to people who are deceitful and treacherous.  They disguise themselves among us.  They say all the right things playing on our beliefs.  They easily and boldly move among us without being noticed.  Wait.  Say what?  How is it possible for a snake to be unnoticed among turtles or a wolf among sheep.  Are turtles and sheep so oblivious to the dangers these snakes present?

Are people?  There is a book in the Bible called Jude where Christians are warned that “certain persons have crept in unnoticed.”  It goes on to give details about these “persons.”  They have no regard or fear of God, they grumble, find fault, follow their own lusts/desires, arrogant, flatter others for the sake of their own gain, cause divisions, are worldly minded and devoid of the Spirit of God. 

Yikes, y’all.  These are some bad people.  If you are like me, you must ask, how did these “persons” go unnoticed among the good Christian folk?  How did snakes so easily hide themselves among the turtles or wolves among the sheep…so to speak?

It’s baffling, isn’t it?  Well, goodness gracious, if the snakes can so easily hide themselves among good Christian folk, think about how well they hide themselves in the world around us.  Yes, friends, we have snakes hiding among us.  In our churches, communities, families, and government. 

We aren’t being judgmental when we look for snakes among us.  First, we must know what a snake looks like.  As Christian, our book for living, the Bible, gives list after list of behaviors to watch out for.  Ours and theirs!  Goodness, if we don’t know what we are looking for we’ll never find it!  Second, we must actually be on the alert for snakes.  That means we must look for them as they have learned to blend in nicely.  They’ve made friends, allies, and have a following.  Why must we look?  Because snakes come to disrupt and destroy.  Divide and conquer.  Kill our faith.  Okay, so maybe not you.  But look at what’s happening all around us.

Snakes live among us.  They are deceitful and treacherous.  I’m not trying to be a Debbie-downer.  Oh no, I’m trying to encourage myself and you to look for these snakes among us.  Be wise, discerning, and watchful.  They have been allowed to do far too much damage already. Enough already.

The Word of God is filled with the wisdom we need to discern.  It has clue after clue to help us find those hidden snakes.  We have not been left without what we need for navigating these snake-filled days.  Let us fill ourselves with the Word of God so we can be wiser than these snakes! 

And what do we do when we find them?  Be merciful.  Beg them to be reconciled to God.  And if they do not?  Well, what fellowship is there for us with those who seek to deceive and destroy us and those we love?