ARE YOU SLEEPING WITH A PYTHON?

There was a woman who had a pet python. Over time she noticed that her beloved pet was not eating. She took the snake to the veterinarian to see what could be done about the problem. The doctor asked an odd question, “Does your pet sleep with you?”

Yuck! Turns out that indeed the pet snake shared the woman’s bed. The doctor proceeded to inform the woman that her beloved python was starving itself so that it would be hungry enough to eat her when just the right moment arrived.

Wow! Let that sink in for a moment.

This story troubles me so much. It makes me want to just weep for people who I love, who are sleeping with their “pythons” and believing that it is a safe and acceptable way to live.

Rest Assured:

Your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23b)

It’s time to take a big ax and chop off the head of that ugly snake. Don’t delay another day. I beg you to do it now before it swallows you alive.

If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell. (Matthew 5:30)

Maybe you need to get rid of your phone or cable, or maybe you have some friendships or a relationship that you need to end. These measures are not too extreme.

If God is convicting you of something, agree with Him quickly and get a fresh start.

WHEN GOD CALLS AN AUDIBLE

Do you know what I mean when I say that sometimes God calls an audible? For those who aren’t into sports, let me explain.

The kind of audible that I’m talking about is the kind that happens in American football. It’s a change in the offensive play called by the quarterback at the line of scrimmage. This means that the coach and players have laid out a clear plan for their play, but at the last moment, the quarterback switches it up.

When an audible is called, it would be detrimental to the outcome of the game not to go along with the change. If the players aren’t willing to be flexible, things get messy really fast.

I grew up as a missionary kid in Mexico and Guatemala. Life was one big adventure, and we never really knew what was going to happen next. We would set out in a hurry to do something, only to have to stop and wait due to circumstances that were out of our control.

Most of the time it was “hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait.” One of the phrases I remember my parents saying the most is, “Blessed are the flexible for they shall not break.”

It’s kind of like driving on a crowded interstate. You have to hurry up and merge, only to sit and wait, then hurry up again. In the end, you might have to suddenly take another route to get where you really need to go.

When you’re going along in life, and God suddenly calls an audible, go with it. He knows what He’s doing.

Destiny Key: The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps. Proverbs 16:9