’A viper(snake) driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand’. Acts 28:3
For those of you who don’t know it, there are no snakes in Ireland, nor anything poisonous, like spiders. Legend has it that Saint Patrick chased them out of the land. Hallelujah!
All the people had finally made it safely to dry land, through the Storm, off the Shipwreck and onto the Shore. The islanders showed them unusual kindness and built a fire and welcomed them all, all 276 people. They had come through a great ordeal, many days at sea in the storms and fourteen days without food, but people came and helped them. God can send help supernaturally(like the angel who fed Elijah twice before his forty day journey to meet God on Mount Horeb) or he can send it through people, even complete strangers. The survivors from the ship would have been so exhausted, they would have taken help from anybody but sometimes we imagine help will come in a certain way(like Naaman before Elisha, ‘I thought he would come and…). We need humility to accept the help that God sends us, wrong attitudes or opinions can separate us from God’s provision!
Paul was carrying brushwood and as he put it on the fire a snake, driven out by the heat, attached itself to his hand. Paul had guided the ship’s company to safety and given them hope in the darkest days and now he was bitten by a snake. The heat drove the snake out and it attacked him. I believe we will see this more often in the days ahead, God’s presence will cause things to surface that may have been hidden for a long time. Even with the Lord, after he came off the Mount of Transfiguration, a deaf and dumb spirit manifested in a boy and Jesus set him free. Mark 9:22
The islanders initially thought Paul was a murderer and then that he was a god, after nothing happened to him. Paul threw the snake off into the fire, the proper place for it. Just because something latches onto us doesn’t mean we have to keep it. SHAKE OFF false attachments from the enemy, we are God’s children and they have no place in or on us.
The islanders continued to bless and help the people and Paul in return healed all the sick and I’m sure brought the news of Jesus to them. We may not be able to repay people in kind, the same way they’ve blessed us, but God may open a way for us to repay them in a greater measure, to meet their needs.
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God bless and keep you and make His face shine upon you and give you peace.