The Garter Snake and the Starling Snare

A few weeks ago, I found a garter snake in the road.

The children love to play with these harmless garter snakes.

Even Hannah has to prove that she is no sissy when it comes to garter snakes.

She's got to keep up with her brothers.

 That little serpent reminded me of the words I had just been pondering and talking to Jonathan about,

the serpents' words that set the first trap for human kind--

"Yea, hath God said?"

 The words cast doubt in Eve's mind as to what God had said, and what He meant, and whether He was wise enough to be obeyed.

"Perhaps, Eve," the serpent beguiled, "you should not be so simple as to believe what God has said.

Why, if you do what God has said not to do, you will know the difference between good and evil,
and be as wise as God!"

Thus Satan gets us to doubt the authenticity and final authority of God's Word,

and decide that actually we are as good an authority on what is good and evil

as God is.

But that is precisely where we get trapped.

We end up thinking we know as much as God,

and that our own opinion is as wise as His.

Timmy built a starling trap recently to capture these pesky rascals that eat our dogfood and chicken feed

and are a pain to have around the ranch.

The starlings easily find their way into the snare as they seek to get to the dogfood inside.

But then they are too stupid to know how to get back out.

Here is one in the trap. 

There is a way out.

The starling is just too stupid to figure it out.

I called the boys back to school, and a while later, that particular starling was gone from the snare!

It had found its way out!

The Psalmist wrote, "Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowler.

The snare is broken, and we have escaped."

"Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth."
Lord, You know the snares that the devil has set and is setting for each of Your people.
Perhaps some snares are ready to snap today.
Perhaps some of Your children are already caught in the snare and cannot find their way out.
Please break the snare through the power of Your name and through Your blood.
Show Your children the way of escape, that they may be able to bear whatever trial or temptation is coming against them.
Keep us, Oh God, from becoming ensnared in the worldly wisdom of our own understanding
which is folly,
but to acknowledge You so that You may keep us safe under the shadow of Your wings!