Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
It happened so fast there wasn't a moment to prepare. It was in Nairobi, Kenya. A group of us missionaries was gathered for some committee meeting. It was Sabbath afternoon. We were staying at the home of Hubert Stevenson. For some reason the others were out in the backyard and I was alone in the house. I heard them shouting excitedly and I rushed to the back door, stepped outside to see what was happening. There it was--an African Black Mamba was heading straight for me, its head held high for attack!
Hubert yelled at me to grab a club he had behind his back door, which I did. Instinctively I knew it was one or the other of us: either that deadly poisonous snake or I was going to die. Any one of the other men was physically better qualified for such a fight, but this time it was me not them (there was no time to pray, incidentally). I must have had a rush of adrenalin, for I flailed at that serpent with every ounce of energy the adrenalin inspired. I beat it ferociously on the head, and wonder of wonders, I killed it! (And it was big!)
I think I have never known the flooding sense of exhilaration that came over me. Not only had I killed a poisonous serpent; I had killed one that was intent on killing me. For days I walked on cloud nine. Had I touched upon some primeval instinct? It was in the Garden of Eden that the Lord God had addressed "the serpent" who had "beguiled" Eve: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head" (Gen 3:15). I had "bruised the head" of a literal serpent. Jesus knew an infinitely more grand sense of exhilaration when on His cross He drew His last breath and cried out, "It is finished!" He had trampled on the head of the great cosmic Enemy of man and God. He had been triumphant to His last breath. Could He have died at last in ecstasy?
Do you suppose that Joseph knew that sense of exhilaration as he trampled on the head of Satan when Potiphar's wife seductively allured him and he yelled a triumphant "No!" and fled? The Egyptian prison was for him like the Holiday Inn. Could young David have known it when he slew the giant Goliath, who had challenged the God of Israel? Could Paul have known it when the executioner bade him lay his head on the block and the apostle knew "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7)? Exhilaration at death? Yes! At the end of the race.
But you and I will know this exhilaration now as we deny self and follow after Jesus, and "take up [our] cross daily" (Luke 9:23). We don't have to wait until the end to enjoy victory.
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: May 14, 2004.Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
It happened so fast there wasn't a moment to prepare. It was in Nairobi, Kenya. A group of us missionaries was gathered for some committee meeting. It was Sabbath afternoon. We were staying at the home of Hubert Stevenson. For some reason the others were out in the backyard and I was alone in the house. I heard them shouting excitedly and I rushed to the back door, stepped outside to see what was happening. There it was--an African Black Mamba was heading straight for me, its head held high for attack!
Hubert yelled at me to grab a club he had behind his back door, which I did. Instinctively I knew it was one or the other of us: either that deadly poisonous snake or I was going to die. Any one of the other men was physically better qualified for such a fight, but this time it was me not them (there was no time to pray, incidentally). I must have had a rush of adrenalin, for I flailed at that serpent with every ounce of energy the adrenalin inspired. I beat it ferociously on the head, and wonder of wonders, I killed it! (And it was big!)
I think I have never known the flooding sense of exhilaration that came over me. Not only had I killed a poisonous serpent; I had killed one that was intent on killing me. For days I walked on cloud nine. Had I touched upon some primeval instinct? It was in the Garden of Eden that the Lord God had addressed "the serpent" who had "beguiled" Eve: "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head" (Gen 3:15). I had "bruised the head" of a literal serpent. Jesus knew an infinitely more grand sense of exhilaration when on His cross He drew His last breath and cried out, "It is finished!" He had trampled on the head of the great cosmic Enemy of man and God. He had been triumphant to His last breath. Could He have died at last in ecstasy?
Do you suppose that Joseph knew that sense of exhilaration as he trampled on the head of Satan when Potiphar's wife seductively allured him and he yelled a triumphant "No!" and fled? The Egyptian prison was for him like the Holiday Inn. Could young David have known it when he slew the giant Goliath, who had challenged the God of Israel? Could Paul have known it when the executioner bade him lay his head on the block and the apostle knew "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7)? Exhilaration at death? Yes! At the end of the race.
But you and I will know this exhilaration now as we deny self and follow after Jesus, and "take up [our] cross daily" (Luke 9:23). We don't have to wait until the end to enjoy victory.
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: May 14, 2004.Copyright © 2011 by Robert J. Wieland.
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
------------------------------
Please forward these messages to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. The "Dial Daily Bread" Web site resides at: http://1888message.org/
To subscribe send an e-mail message with "subscribe" in the body of the message to: dailybread@1888message.org
------------------------------
Robert J. Wieland's inspirational "Dial Daily Bread" messages are availalbe via e-mail to anyone who wishes to receive a daily portion of uplifting Good News. "Dial Daily Bread" is FREE. Due to travel or other circumstances, there may be intervals when "Dial Daily Bread" will not be sent.
