Whoever Breaks Through a Wall May Be Bitten By a Snake by Lygia Lovelace     Did you know that verse was in the Bible? It is! Ecclesiastes 10:8 says, Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake.   You see, in Bible times, a snake could easily make a home inside of a wall. These walls were made of brick or stone, which would often crack or split with weather changes or age or poor construction. Mud would then be used to fill in these cracks. However, if the house were left to split and crack without vigilant care, then a snake could possibly slither in and live within the walls.   Oh, I've heard of many things being found within the walls of a house, haven't you? I've heard of such treasures being discovered like money or a nest of dead rats or bones or old papers…but a live snake?   That sounds dangerous.   Life has its disasters, its unpredictability. Sometimes it seems that we go from one trial to another -- taking a roller coaster ride through peril, disappointment, and temptation. Does life seem that way to you?   Trouble is inevitable, isn't it? Jesus said that if we truly follow Him, He would give us LIFE ABUNDANTLY. But He also said that we would have trouble in this world. Trouble.   I just want to be sure that it's the kind of trouble that God is allowing, and not the kind of trouble that I am causing…   Know what I mean? Listen to these heart cries…   …But I'm just so down, so discouraged! I'm so sick of life! I don't feel like having a quiet time. God is silent -- I'm just not hearing anything from Him anymore.   …But when I live the Christian life, I just don't have any FRIENDS. I need friends, you know? I don't think God intended for us to be lonely. I'm sure God understands. I just won't totally live for Him right now. I don't want to lose the friends I've finally found!   …Oh, I love reading the Bible and all -- it's just that I'm busy! I don't have time to sit and pray during any part of my day…   …What has God ever done for me, anyway? Look at me! He has caused this illness to occur -- this accident -- and I'm NOT having life abundantly. He just doesn't care…   When these attitudes, these feelings and these actions begin to creep into our hearts, our walls start cracking. They start breaking down! Our spiritual lives are left untended and we just don't realize that there is a snake waiting on the other side. Spiritual laziness or neglect is not freedom, my friend, it's oppression. Bitterness or anger toward God is not justified…it's Satan's plan for your life. Forsaking the Christian walk is not "life at its fullest," it's a slow, cruel death that causes Satan and evil to churn with laughter at the process of your demise.   Is your wall breaking down? Are there cracks in the mortar, in the mud and clay of your relationship with Christ?   The first step is when that snake moves in and lives among your walls. He is finding nourishment and sustenance from somewhere! And you could be totally unaware that he is there, or that you are feeding him.   How does it happen? Subtly. Discreetly.   When our first two children were small, we lived in a small, two-story home in Illinois. The house was oddly put together. The main part of the house (our kitchen, dining and living room, and bathroom) was actually upstairs, while our bedrooms were downstairs. We had baby monitors throughout the rooms upstairs so that we could hear our two little ones at any time of day.   There was a strange man who lived several doors down from us. We had been warned to stay away from him, as he was potentially unstable. The children and I prayed for him and smiled at him whenever he would stare at us from his yard, but we carefully kept our distance. Ken, however, tried to reach out to this man -- to befriend him -- but without too much success.   One night I awoke in the middle of the night and went upstairs to the kitchen. It was very dark in the house. Everyone was asleep. I nearly dropped my glass when I heard the strange man clear his throat loudly. I don't know how, but I immediately knew it was him. I began to believe that our odd neighbor was upstairs with me! I looked around and was about ready to scream!   But then I realized that the man's voice was coming through the baby monitor. I could even hear him breathing! Bewildered, my sleepy mind began searching for an answer. Where was he? Why could I hear him so clearly?!   Then, it dawned on me that in order for the baby monitor to be picking up his voice, he must be in the room with the children!   I flew down our narrow stairs and raced into our bedroom, pouncing on Ken. I kept insisting that there was a man in our house, in the children's room! We rushed in there, but the kids were sleeping peacefully. We finally came to realize that the man must be outside, at their window.   Ken ran out to talk with him, but our neighbor ran away. What was he doing there? How many times had he already been there, peering through our windows watching us? We may never know. We became much more vigilant. And we prayed.   We don't know if he ever did that again, but we never saw him at our window again.   What is standing at your window, staring in at you? Are you being threatened? Since we've been in the ministry, we've been egged and paint-balled, we've had fireworks and rocks thrown at our house and at our windows, we've been robbed, cursed, scorned, and Ken has even found his office broken into, with a hunting knife at his desk, threatening his life!   The air has been let out of our tires and our tires have been slashed…the list goes on and on. There is definitely a cruel, evil force outside our window. I just don't want to OPEN the window (or the walls) and let it in.   Do you?   Keep the walls of God's protection around you. Don't step out from underneath his umbrella of safety. Because even when the bad storm gets through -- if you are walking with Him faithfully -- then you merely get wet, a little soaked-through, even.   But you are not swept away.   It's true that we can actually open these doors of danger ourselves by compromising our walk with Him. Even neglecting our walk can bring the snake closer, within the siding or mortar of our hearts.   And we don't want that…not for us…not for our families.   Not ever.   No pit digging. No breaking through walls. No neglect of the things of God. No turning away.   Snakes belong on the outside. Are you a believer in Christ? Then the serpents may look in, but they can't get in…not unless you weaken your resolve and break through the wall.   Stand strong.     Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man (or woman) who lacks self-control. Proverbs 25:28   If the Lord had not been on our side…they would have swallowed us alive; …the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away! Praise be to the Lord, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth! Psalm 124 Copyright © 2010. Faith Matters by Lygia Lovelace. All rights reserved. KenLovelaceMinistries.com