Lessons from the Snake

 Ok, friends. I know some of you are NOT snake enthusiasts, and I apologize for any discomfort that the next video brings, but the analogy was just too strong for me to pass up!

 

“For this is God’s will: that you become holy, that you keep away from sexual immorality.”  1 Thessalonians 4:3

“For by one offering he has perfected for all time those who are made holy.”  Hebrews 10:14

 This morning as I considered sanctification, that progressive growing to be more and more like Christ, I was given the image of a snake shedding it’s skin. I didn’t want to go there, snakes having the bad reputation that they do…, I even researched hermit crabs and lizards to find a suitable alternative. But, eventually, I found the video above and it was clear that this is what God was trying to teach me.

 As a snake grows, it’s skin does not stretch like ours. The snake within the skin grows larger, but the skin stays the same size causing it to feel tight and constricted. Eventually, the skin underneath has matured to the point where it can protect the snake and it is time to shed it’s old skin. How does the snake know? I’m guessing it just feels more and more uncomfortable. Does this line up with anything you’ve experienced? Perhaps there is a habit in your life, or a relationship that is less than healthy. The closer you grow to God, the less and less comfortable you feel participating in this habit or spending time with that person. Maybe it’s a book or a TV show or a video game. It could be anything, anything that God sees as coming between you and the person He has designed you to be. The key is, as you grow closer to God, you feel less and less comfortable with that thing. You are no longer comfortable in your own skin.

 When the snake prepares to shed it’s skin, it begins by rubbing up against rough rocks. In the Bible, it talks about iron sharpening iron (Proverbs 27:17). As we spend time with other Christians, praying, worshiping, and learning, we grow “sharper.” Maybe we confront ideas that we previously took as fact, but now we wonder if they are biblically based? Perhaps we are confronted with a situation where it won’t be comfortable, but we feel that we are being called to stand up for what we believe. These “uncomfortable” things that God takes us through serve to start the peeling back of that old skin.

 If you watched the video, perhaps you took note of the moment when the snake’s eyes were blocked by the shedding skin, making it blind and vulnerable. Perhaps this could even bring on a sense of panic. The snake knows it has a purpose, shedding it’s skin, and it’s working towards that purpose, but it is suddenly caught unawares by a situation outside of its control. This, too, models part of our growing faith walk.

For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  (Romans 8:24-26 NIV)

 Faith is, “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). If we see it, if we know what will happen, if it’s easy, it’s not faith. We have to come to a point where we do not see, we do not understand, but we still choose to believe. That’s faith.

 When it came almost to the end, I noted how beautiful the shed skin looked in the sunlight, it almost shimmered. When we are in the midst of trouble and growth, it seems impossible and exhausting. How could God possibly bring something good out of this? But when we look back on what God has done in our past, we see things with new eyes. Once we have come through the hard times and seen how God provided and used them, they become beautiful! Just as the snake’s shed skin glistened in the light, we can look back on those times of trial and difficulty and see them with the light of God’s truth shining on them.

 I’ll be honest, when it came almost to the end, I felt a sense of dread. There was that one last part attached to the snake’s tail. Was it just going to be stuck with it? There’s something in me that shuddered at the thought. I would absolutely hate to deal with that little bit of old skin just hanging on! Once we have come through a time of change, the hanging’s on of old things start to rub us the wrong way. It’s easier now to let them go. In fact, it’s freeing and desirable.

 Praise God, the last bit of skin DID come away! And when it did, it revealed a new dark link of rattle, right at the end of the snake’s tail. I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely clear on all the ways a snake uses it’s rattle (and I’m pretty sure the scientists are just guessing to!). But now the rattle is new and bigger! You’ve got to figure it wanted to try it out! When we come cleanly into a new season of our lives, having left behind the difficulty we just endured, we are also gifted with a new ability and desire to rattle, to worship and praise the One who brought us through! We have a new way to identify with others, a new memory to look back on of how God provided, and we feel fresh and new!

Here’s the Thing: Whether the idea of a snake shedding it’s skin feels satisfying or terrifying to you, it’s something that must be done. The snake cannot continue to grow as long as it is trapped in it’s old skin. And if it does not grow, it will die.

If a snake doesn't properly shed, it can result in the following issues:

·       Blindness: Remaining skin can cover the eyes and cause blindness.

·       Parasites and Disease: Remaining skin can harbor parasites, leading to disease and even death.

·       Susceptibility to Injury or Infections: If a snake loses its entire shed at once, it becomes susceptible to injury or infections.

·       Incomplete Shed: If your snake has patches of old skin left, provide a moist hide or bathe it in warm water.

·       Eye Caps: If the eye caps don't shed, it can lead to vision problems.

·       Shedding in Pieces: If the snake's skin sheds in pieces instead of one whole piece, it could be a sign of low humidity.(1)

 I don’t think you need be to break down the simile here. If a snake doesn’t properly shed, it deals with blindness, parasites, disease, susceptibility to infection, and more. I love how the solution to some of these issues is water. For us it is the same, when we are incomplete in our shedding process or we are shedding in pieces, it’s time for us to come to the Living Water

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." ... Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  John 4:10, 13-14 NIV

 If you are seeing any of these symptoms in your own life, perhaps it’s time to shed!

(1) what happens if a snake doesn’t shed - Bing. (n.d.). Bing. https://www.bing.com/search?q=what+happens+if+a+snake+doesn%27t+shed&qs=UT&pq=what+happens+if+a+snake+doesn%27t&sc=1-31&cvid=56542A3730A54DD7BA988BC303653AC0&FORM=QBRE&sp=1&ghc=1&lq=0