Lions and Snakes

You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. Psalm 91:13

If you were to encounter a venomous snake while blissfully traipsing through a meadow—sun shining on your face, views of absolute wonder all around you, an absence of worry and the presence of peace abiding within you—what do you think your first reaction to that snake would be?

Would your sense of security feel threatened?

How about your peace?

Do you think you would flee to avoid being attacked by the cold-blooded threat literally at your feet?

If you’re anything like me, I bet your last thought would be to stomp on the sly and slithering enemy. But that is exactly what Psalm 91:13 says we will do when the enemy is at our door or, in this case, feet.

See for yourself…

“You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.”

The word “will” is actually the operative word in this verse. That means it is the most important word in the verse. It is what gives the verse weight and meaning…and promise.

Do you remember the headlines several years ago about Roy Horn who was one half of the famous lion taming duo Siegfried and Roy? Yeah, he was mauled and dragged off stage by one of the animals he allegedly tamed.

Good thing for us then that the lion and serpent referred to in this passage are not literal, but rather symbols of the formidable and treacherous threats to our physical and/or spiritual being, as well as our peace, that slither around and stalk us daily. And although the lion and serpent in Psalm 91:13 are metaphorical, the fear; anxiety; and carnage from these threats are not. They are very, very real. I would say trust me on this one, but I bet you could say the same thing.

So then, how do we tread and trample the lion and serpent like verse 13 says we will do?

For that answer we have to go back to the first verse of Psalm 91, which says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High rests in the shadow of the Almighty.”

Now, I have always considered myself as one who dwells in the shelter of the Most High and rests in the shadow of the Almighty, but there have been a few heart-wrenching circumstances in my life recently that have left me physically and spiritually battered because the lion and the serpent tag-teamed me. As a result, I found myself with my head in the mouth of a lion and I became very aware that my lips talk about dwelling and resting but my heart doesn’t dwell nor rest.

I can hear your sweet voice now saying, “But Michaelle, that can’t be true.  You seem like you trust God in every situation. Surely you’re not just giving lip service. You’re being too hard on yourself.”

First, that is so kind of you. Second, it’s not true. I don’t trust God in every situation. I know God can, but I struggle in my heart believing that He will. For example, I know God can bring good out of the heart-wrenching circumstances but I wonder if He will.

I don’t always trust in His power and love like the dwelling and resting imply. I don’t place myself under His protection. Instead, I just want Him to make it all go away—to be a genie and grant my wish. And when He doesn’t, I wear myself down to a nub by getting all twirled up like a tornado and spiraling in the vortex of all the “what ifs.” I imagine and then react to every possible way these circumstances could play out—none of them good and some of them not even likely. Moreover, just like a tornado, I keep adding to the destruction by continuing to twist and turn in my thoughts.

You see, if my heart truly dwelt in the shelter of the Most High and rested in the shadow of the Almighty, when these circumstances first reared their ugly heads I would have already been under the authority and protection of God instead of dwelling in my own thoughts and being consumed by them.

Have you noticed that we’ve already answered how we will be able to tread on the serpent and the lion? That’s right, by dwelling in the shelter of the Most High and resting in His shadow!

When we dwell in God’s shelter and rest in His shadow, we are placing ourselves under His authority and protection.

Because of God’s omnipotence (power and authority) and our faith in His Son who has reconciled us to Him, we have no reason to fear anything—be it lions, serpents, or tomorrow—because that same power and authority that is God and raised Jesus from the dead is the very same power and authority we can dwell and rest in…and should.

But now another question. How do we dwell in His shelter and rest in His shadow?

We trust Him.

We trust Him because He is trustworthy.

We trust Him because He has delivered us before.

We trust Him because He is the author of trust.

We trust Him because we know Him.

We trust Him because we love Him.

We trust Him because He loves us.

We trust Him because only in Him is there victory over anything. Just ask Satan and death.

Snakes and lions may threaten us and maybe even seek to devour us, but we have a lion tamer so wonderful and so powerful that we don’t need to worry that one day we’ll find ourselves with our head involuntarily in the mouth of a lion. Or worse—consumed by the lion. We just need to trust and rest.

Do you?