Neutralizing the Sting
Scripture Reading: Acts 28:3–6
“And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.”
Neutralizing the Sting
Father God, we thank you because you are able to neutralize every sting of the enemy. It does not matter what the enemy does; you have the antidote to the venom. Father, I thank you because you have the ability to cleanse all the impurities that the enemy has deposited in us spiritually.
Serpents operated in the Old and New Testaments. They still operate today; though I am not speaking about physical serpents but rather spiritual ones. Spiritual serpents have bitten many of us and now we are suffering from that venom. I encourage you to look to Jesus, for He can neutralize any poison.
“And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that
every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived,” Numbers 21:6–9.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life,” John 3:14–15.
Our Lord Jesus on Calvary represents the serpent in the Old Testament that was raised up for our healing. Paul looked to Jesus and instead of dying from the venom of the serpent, he lived unharmed. Our Lord Jesus has been lifted up and the power of the Holy Spirit is now working in His people. Look at Calvary and at Jesus who has the ability to neutralize the sting. Look at the Jesus who brings healing, deliverance, protection, and preservation. Look at Jesus, and like Paul who was looked upon with amazement and called a god, people will recognize you as a child of God.
Some Christians have looked to Jesus and, like Paul, have experienced miraculous healing. Others expected them to suffer, even die, but they did not. The power of the Holy Spirit in the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary manifested victory once again. Our Lord Jesus, who was lifted up at Calvary and is now our great physician, has the antidote to every spiritual sting.
Prayer Points:
If you have never given your life to Jesus, you are on dangerous ground. Pray with me now, “Lord Jesus, I accept you as my personal Lord and Saviour. I confess and forsake my sins. Cleanse me from my sins with your blood and write my name in the book of life. Deliver me from the sting of the enemy in Jesus’ name.” Amen.
Father God, I pray for a flushing away of every poison released through the sting of spiritual serpents, scorpions and bees operating in the lives of your children. May Jesus Christ, who was lifted up at Calvary to be the great physician physically and spiritually, heal us today.
