“Yeshua called His twelve disciples and gave them the authority to drive out unclean spirits and to heal every kind of disease and weakness.” Matt 10:1 One of the most remarkable things about this event is that Judas Iscariot was also included. He participated fully in their mission and experienced the exhilarating power and glory of God. Yet, this same person later chose to betray the One he claimed to serve.
Although experiencing miracles as a believer is a wonderful privilege and exercising His authority over the dark hordes of hell needful, we should remember that it’s an outflow rather than the sum total of who we are. Judas Iscariot was a reminder of this and sadly there have been many others like him throughout church history.
Ultimately, we must choose whether to do things God’s way, in His timing and on His terms, relinquishing even our heartfelt dreams for His name’s sake. Sometimes, our reluctant ‘yes’ is accompanied by much kicking and screaming, but that may reveal spiritual immaturity rather than a rebellious heart.
No-one is immune to the snares of Satan, but God can use even our mistakes or unwise choices as stepping-stones that ultimately lead to a deeper appreciation of Him. The following true story illustrates this point well.
The soldier crouched shin-deep in the mud of the jungle on a sensitive military mission with his platoon. The slightest noise could reveal his position to an enemy ambush and therefore required complete radio silence.
He slithered inch by inch in the mud. Suddenly, he heard a flickering sound and froze in his tracks as he came face to face with a large nine-foot cobra with its fangs exposed braced to attack.
He instantly froze – Jungle survival school taught him that this was the only way to survive an encounter with an irate cobra. The snake continued with his head cocked ready to strike and seemed to lock itself in a hypnotic pose maintaining direct eye contact with the soldier.
One hour passed agonisingly slowly, then another. The snake held him hostage as every muscle in the soldier’s body screamed out in pain and anguish. It seemed a hopeless situation, impossible to endure yet somehow, he did…….
Then, without any warning, after eight hours of unimaginable pain and torment, the snake uncocked its head and slithered away to the thick of the jungle noiselessly, as suddenly as it had appeared.
The soldier’s head dropped as he released himself from his numbed ‘frozen’ position, his body eaten up by insects and leeches. He shuddered, then completely broke down as the full impact of his encounter began to sink in. He had survived…barely.
After a few moments, the soldier sought to reunite with his platoon several hundred metres away but when he finally arrived, he received the shock of his life: each one of them had been slaughtered in a counter-ambush.
A new understanding of his recent encounter with the snake began to sink in. The cobra who had threatened his life and caused him such torment and anguish of body and soul had in fact been the source of his redemption.
Maybe, if you are experiencing a ‘cobra’ in your life right now it is an emissary used by God to ultimately preserve your life! Even though you may be paying a price that seems too high, never underestimate our God who is always in full control and loves us with an everlasting love!
Raphael ben Levi
