Snake!  Freeze! Holding our breath, we watch to see what the snake will do next!  Whew! We only relax after it has slithered past putting some distance between us.  It is stressful to run into a snake in the wild, but even watching snakes in a movie puts us on the edge of our seats.

Are you a movie buff? See if you can identify these old movies involving snakes from the scenes below.

What movies did you identify?

The 14-year-old girl in movie #1. is Mattie in True Grit. Even if you missed that reference, many of you probably guessed movie #2. Those trapped were Indiana Jones and Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Having a close encounter with a snake would cause most of us to react like these movie characters. We freeze in fear as our imagination runs wild worrying about what the snake could do to us!

WORRY? WHAT IS IT?

According to WebMD, “Worry is feeling uneasy or being overly concerned about a situation or problem. With excessive worrying, your mind and body go into overdrive as you constantly focus on “what might happen.”   

 Now, I don’t think worrying when having a close encounter with a rattlesnake would be considered as an overly concerning situation. However, what about other kinds of snakes?

Don’t people who are deceptive remind us of snakes? (Just ask Adam and Eve about that.) Then there are people with other snake-like qualities such as spewing venomous words and poisonous ideas. Let’s not forget about things that constrict our joy and suffocate us like debt, demanding workloads and controlling relationships.  All these snakes can cause us to worry.

WHAT DOES WORRY DO?

Does worrying add 1 cent to our bank account?
Does it add 1 healthy cell to our sick body?
Does it accomplish 1 thing on our “To do” list?
Does it solve any of our problems?

No! Worry doesn’t do one positive thing!

Worry zaps our energy and disturbs our sleep. It causes headaches, digestive disorders, short-term memory loss, muscle aches and a host of other physical issues.¹

WE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY!
WE HAVE A CHOICE!

CHOOSE GOD’S SOLUTIONS FOR WORRYING!

Choosing God’s solutions for worry, gives us peace even when we are facing our snakes.

SOLUTION #1.
SEEK JESUS FIRST

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things shall be added to you.
 Matthew 6:33.

When we facing snakes, what do we do? We turn to Jesus. He knows what is ahead and can give us direction for facing, avoiding or escaping snakes.

Do you think –
My snake is too insignificant to bring to Jesus?
I’m in this snake pit because I messed up, so Jesus won’t help me get out?

If you believe either of those things, then a snake is deceiving you. The truth is that because Jesus loves you, He wants to set you free.

And you shall know the truth,
 and the truth shall make you free,
John 8:32

SOLUTION #2.
LEAVE EVERYTHING IN GOD’S HANDS

God doesn’t want us to worry, but to have faith to leave everything in His capable hands. Just like a loving parent wants to take care of our needs and difficult circumstances for us, our Heavenly Father wants to do so as well.

Don’t worry about anything,
but in everything,
through prayer and petition with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God. And the peace of God,
which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus,
Philippians 4:6-7 CSB

NO WORRIES?
EASIER SAID THAN DONE!

You’ve heard the saying, “Let go and let God?” That’s not always easy, is it?

Don’t we all have times when we get stuck worrying?

I call those times yo-yos. It’s when I pray giving my circumstances to God, but don’t entirely let go of them. Then like a yo-yo, they bounce back to me filling my mind with worry once again.  Fortunately, God is patient. He will keep taking my yo-yo waiting for me to cut the string.

Releasing our circumstances to God in faith takes practice.  However, when we do, He replaces the worry and turmoil of the snakes with peace.

Remember that our God is bigger than any snake we can ever face and He can do even the impossible, (Luke 1:37).

God knows our needs and because He loves us, He has our backs.

Therefore, do not worry, saying,
 ‘What shall we eat?’ or
‘What shall we drink?’ or
 ‘What shall we wear?’ 
For after all these things the Gentiles seek.
For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Matthew 6:31-32

Let’s bring our snakes to God trading our worries for peace in Jesus. Because He loves us, we can have faith that He is willing and able to do even the impossible.

Casting all your care upon Him,
for He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7.

REFLECTION

Are you worrying?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, as I write 1 Peter 5:7 and say it aloud, help me to seek You first and in faith give everything to You. Thank you for giving me peace. In Jesus name. Amen.

BY FAITH TRADE WORRY FOR PEACE

Comment!

________________________________________________________________________________________________

*For information on making Jesus Christ your Savior, email me or visit, http://www.peacewithgod.net/

1 WedMD