Parable Pictures of the Eel and Serpent

From time to time the Lord will give us a teaching picture at the Friday Men's Group. These pictures that serve as parables for as the old adage says, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

Last Friday, the Lord gave one of the men two pictures. The first picture was of amoray eel. Its coloring was dark green and it had fierce teeth. Below its eyes, this creature had a round flap of skin that could flare when it wanted to appear larger than it was for offensive or defensive reasons. The other detail that the Lord showed this man was that this creature had a will and plan all of its own. It was an aggressive predator.

The second picture morphed out of the first one. The deadly eel turned into a serpent that wrapped itself around a man's leg. Although it had not bitten, it was about to strike. Because the snake was wrapped around the leg, it could not be easily dislodged. Also, since the snake was higher up on the body, its strike would be more deadly.

The Lord revealed that these were pictures of worry and fear. He taught us that worry and fear have a will of their own. They are not benign. They have teeth and make themsevles appear larger than they actually are (the cone of skin). Fear and worry are toxic (the serpent). It not only has a will an independent of us but its goal is to entertwine itself to us so that it cannot be shaken easily off .

As we unpacked these pictures, the Lord told us that worry and fear could actually prevent a blessing from arriving at its human destination and could even block some answers to prayer. The Lord wanted us to take seriously this threat to faith and not to take worry or fear lightly. They were aggressive, hell driven tools of the enemy to deter and prevent us from receiving all that God has for us in each situation. This is why it is vital that we deny them entrance into our lives.

I encourage you to ask the Lord to identify the areas where fear and worry are at work in your life. They are not benign. They are predators with a will of their own, looking for victims. Their presence can at times block God's blessings or prevent answers to prayer that were meant for us.

"Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you; yea, I will help you; yea, I will uphold you with the right hand of My righteousness."