A PRAYER FOR RATTLESNAKES!

A PRAYER FOR RATTLESNAKES!

“Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.” Then, from Hebrews 12:5-6 the Bible says, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?” Psalm 119:67

Dr. Mark Creech tells the following story…“Once upon a time there was a family of backslidden church members. The family consisted of a father and three sons. They had all once been very active in church but lately had fallen away completely. Many people visited the family and asked them to come back to church. That list of visitors included not only the pastor but also the deacons. Unfortunately, however, all the visiting, counseling, encouragement, and rebuking produced no effect upon either the father or any of the three sons.

One day when the sons were working in the field, a big rattlesnake bit the middle son. The boy became very sick, and the doctor was called. The doctor did what he could, but the prognosis was not good. He said, “About all we can do now is pray for this young man.”

Those words sent the father into a panic and he called the pastor. The pastor immediately went out to the home and was told what had happened. The father said, “Please, pastor, we need you to pray!” The pastor said, “Ok. Let’s pray!” Then started his prayer. He prayed, “Oh wise and all-knowing Father, we thank thee for Thou hast sent this rattlesnake to bite this young man in order to bring him to his senses. He has not been inside the church house for a long time now, and it is doubtful that he has in all that time felt the need for prayer. Now we trust that this will prove a valuable lesson to him and that it will lead to genuine repentance.” The pastor continued praying, saying, “And now, Father, wilt thou send another snake to bite the older son, another to bite the younger son, and another BIG ONE to bite this father. For we have all been doing everything we know for some time now to restore them to the fellowship of the church, but it’s been to no avail. It seems, therefore, that all of our combined efforts could not do what this snake has done. We thus conclude that the only thing left that will do this family any good is rattlesnakes. So, Lord, send us bigger and better rattlesnakes! In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen!”

GOD IS OUR LOVING FATHER.

As outrageous as the story above may sound, it illustrates wonderfully the truth found within our verses for today. The Hebrew writer said, “For WHOM THE LORD LOVETH he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Like the pastor in the story, I’ve seen many people over the years fall away from the Lord and, eventually, stop attending church altogether. And, as I’ve watched many of those same people, I’ve seen them go through all kinds of difficulties and eventually they turned back to the Lord. The fact is . . . God loves us too much not to confront us when we live in rebellion to Him. It’s not always the case, but sometimes when heartache and troubles come our way, it could be the Lord is lovingly disciplining us to bring us to our senses. Some would disagree, but the Bible clearly teaches this!

GOD LOVINGLY DISCIPLINES HIS CHILDREN.

No loving, right-thinking parent enjoys disciplining their child. I assure you I experienced discipline quite often as a kid. I’ve often described my dad as a “patriotic disciplinarian” as I was growing up. When I got out of line, he provided the stripes and I saw the stars! He said he disciplined me because he loved me. I didn’t give that much thought then, but looking back now, I thank God for a dad who loved me enough to correct me! He saw the danger in just allowing me to do as I pleased.

That’s exactly what the Psalmist meant in our verse for today when he said, “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept Thy Word.” David had drifted from the Lord into a life of sin. It wasn’t long until he went through some very painful times because of his rebellious ways. And it was during his sufferings, he began to recognize God’s loving hand of discipline guiding him back to His outstretched arms. You see, God understands better than we do, and that’s why He is in the business of disciplining His children. He loves you beyond words!

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

I would venture to say that every person reading these words can recall a time in your life when the Lord allowed a ‘rattlesnake of a problem’ to get your attention. Maybe you’re in that place today. Turn to Him…ask Him to forgive you. He is faithful to forgive and cleanse us from all sin (I John 1:9). Thank Him for being a Father Who loves you enough to redirect you on the right path! You see, sometimes it takes a “rattlesnake” to get a person’s attention and bring them back to God.

Think it over . . .

Doug Pierce is a Church planter and a pastor. In 2003 he started, and continues to pastor First Independent Methodist Church in Madison, Mississippi. His #1 priority is to glorify God in all aspects of ministry. He does this through teaching his congregation to Love God, Love One Another, and Love Others to God. Prayer, outreach, and church growth through evangelism are vital parts of his ministry. He and his wife Suzanne live in Madison, Mississippi where they also enjoy their children and grandchildren.

Photo by Wallpaper Cave