Tuesday, September 25, 2012












September 25, 2012   
Today's Photograph . . . . "Snakes" or Temptations Around Us Daily, Arizona Diamondback  (MQ)
Bible Study Verses
Hebrews 12:7-11
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their Father? If you are not disciplined-and everyone undergoes discipline-then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human Fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (NIV)
 
Thoughts 
Where I hunt in Arizona it is likely that a hunter and his bird dog will encounter rattlesnakes. You all know how much I like snakes (there's no such thing as a good snake, not even a dead one).
 
A couple years back I was able to watch a dog trainer "snake train" a hunting dog, in this case a Brittany Spaniel. He had caught a rattler, defanged the snake, and used it to train the dog. A snake has an attractive odor to a dog and they are curious about the noise the snake makes. Couple this with the dog running hard and getting on a snake before he knows it is there and you may have to make a fast trip to the local veterinarian. 
 
Anyway, the trainer put the snake out on the bare ground then brought the dog to the snake. The dog, like most, showed an interest and finally succumbed to the temptation to get close to the snake. When the snake struck at the dog the trainer lit him up with a shocking collar.
 
In this case, the dog did not need a second lesson. When the trainer brought him to the snake again the dog tried to drag the trainer into the next county. The training wasn't pleasant for the dog, but it worked and it just might save his life some day. 
(Cliff S) 
 
Action Point 
We all have "snakes" or temptations around us daily. Some we see plainly, some are subtle and sneak up on us. God uses discipline and training to make us aware when danger lurks nearby and, if we give in to the temptation, He just might "light us up" in one way or another to teach us to avoid the temptation in the future. 
 
Yes, there are consequences for sin. Just like the rattlesnake can kill a dog with its bite, sin can kill us. The Bible has examples where people literally died physically because of sin. But, more importantly, sin can cause us to die spiritually. 
 
God wants to be in fellowship with us but our sin stands between us and Him. Faith in Jesus covers our sin but sometimes we are prone to forget and get a little too close to the "snake" and God has to remind us to stay close to Him and avoid the "bite".  But, remember, God disciplines us for our good. Just like the trainer teaches the dog to avoid the danger of the rattlesnake, so God trains us to avoid the danger of the "snakes" around us. 
 
Sportsman's Tip of the Day 
Most dogs need an annual refresher course in avoiding snakes, just as they do annual medical boosters. Find a trainer in your area that provides snake training and pay the fee to have it done. It just might save your dog from a fatal snake bite.