Shake It Off نموونە

Shaking off snakes

At the beginning of 2019, I remember going through an intense season, with a rhythm of life in which my body, soul, and spirit could not find rest. At that time, our church was going through a stage of exponential growth. We were also about to open a campus in a new city in Latin America.

But at that time, an encounter with the Holy Spirit led me to decide to adjust my priorities, to make the necessary changes to have a life of longevity, building what God sent me to build.

I decided to shake out of my life those things that the enemy was using to limit me, slow me down, distract me and divert me from the purpose for which God called me.

In Acts 28:3, we can read that Paul arrives on an island after being shipwrecked, and instead of accepting the islanders' invitation to sit down, he begins to gather wood and serve to keep the fire burning. After all that had happened, we could almost say that Paul was within his rights to do nothing and sit down to rest. But he didn't; he didn't let his experience affect his service.

As Paul was gathering wood to keep the fire alive, a snake caught hold of his hand and bit him; he simply shook his hand and pulled it off. Paul had authority over that which was trying to harm his life. He did not look to God and say, "Why me, Lord?" but understood that God had not saved him from the storm, only to have him die because of a snake. Paul knew that He was in control.

God gives us His authority to exercise, to be involved in what He is doing. Serving Him helps us understand the authority He has given us, with hands that can lift wood and shake snakes.

God is in control of the storm you are going through. He did not fight for you in the past to abandon you amid the difficulty you are experiencing today. If God did it before, He will do it again. If He protected you during the storm, He will protect you when the serpent wants to attach itself to your life.

It's time to shake off what the enemy wants to stick to us!

Prayer: Lord, thank you for being with me in every battle and for being with me now. I ask you to help me take the authority you have given me to shake out of my life anything that does not come from you. In Jesus' name. Amen.