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"And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so." (Genesis 1:24)

Have you ever wondered why snakes were created? Most people do not like snakes! And there are many other pesky little insects and rodents that are not our favorites. Why were they created? We really do not know the answer, but God is infinitely wise, and He does know. God wanted everything that He created to be observed and appreciated. Well, it can be hard to appreciate a mosquito, can’t it? Perhaps you are thinking right now of another "creature" that God created…and you can’t help but wonder "why?" In Genesis 3, we read about the first "serpent" (snake).

Did you know that the first "lie" happened in God’s own Garden of Eden? Eve was approached by the serpent, and she was sharing with the serpent the things God had told her. God had told her that if she ate of the fruit of a certain tree (the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil), then she would die.

Did you know that this snake could talk? Do you know what he told Eve in the garden that day? He said, "Ye shall not surely die." In other words, he told Eve that God was lying to her! Does God lie?

Who was this serpent? This serpent was the Devil, the "Father of lies." The snake was Satan himself in snake form! Because of what he did, lying to Eve and tempting her to disobey God, the serpent was kicked out of the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:14 "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above the cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life."

Today, this same Devil wants us to believe in the lies he tells, just as he wanted Eve to believe him when he acted like he knew better than God. Like a slithering snake, Satan comes right up to us with his tempting lies. He comes with very clever words and tries to make us believe that God is wrong and he is right.

The Devil is not the only one who tempts us. Our own selfish, fleshly nature is a dangerous enemy, too! And the world wants us to have a worldly attitude that leaves God out or calls God a liar. God wants us to be aware of the dangers that are in this world and to run from them when we are tempted.

God is faithful. That means He is always true and trustworthy. You do not ever have to doubt (wonder) whether God is being honest with you or not. Do you remember that there are people who want you to doubt God? Do you keep in mind that you need to run from the Devil’s lies? The next time you see a snake slithering along a path, let it be a reminder to you. God never lies, but the Devil and others would have you think so. Do what Eve should have done when the serpent told his lies! Turn away and run from temptations to doubt God and His Word. Ephesians 6:11 tells us to "put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."

God is trustworthy because He is always faithful and never lies.

My Response:
» Do I ever start to doubt (wonder) whether something that God has said is really true?
» What should I do when I am tempted to think God might not be faithful?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

It is easy to want to do things on our own, isn’t it? When we were younger, there was so much that Mom and Dad or other grown-ups had to do for us. They had to feed us and pick out our clothes. They had to tie our shoes and carry things that were too big for us. But then we got to the point where we could do all that stuff on our own. We did not want Mom and Dad’s help anymore. Do the words “No! Let me do it by myself!” sound familiar?

That ability to do something by yourself is called “independence.” Becoming independent usually a good thing, not a bad thing. But God does not want us to start trusting in ourselves more than we trust in Him. Maybe you are a good student in school. Or maybe God has given you a special musical talent. Or perhaps you are a super ball player. Have you entrusted these gifts to God? Or are you counting on your own efforts and knowledge to get you through that next test, that upcoming recital, or tomorrow’s big game?

When we have experienced a lot of success, we might be tempted to think, “Hey, I’m great! Everything is sure to turn out fine!” And sometimes–even if we would never say it out loud–we secretly think, “I don’t need to pray to God to ask for His help. I can do it all by myself!” It is easy to forget that God is the one who has blessed us with our talents, and as a result, it may even be that we start to put our faith in ourselves instead of totally in Him.

Not trusting in God takes away the glory and honor He deserves. Furthermore, we need God’s help and cannot get through any situation without Him! If our circumstances have a positive outcome, it is because of Him–not us!

Have you found yourself being too independent lately? That is, have you been “leaning on your own understanding” more than putting your confidence in God? If so, ask God for His forgiveness. Thank Him for the gifts He has given you, and ask Him to show you how you can use them to point others to Him. Keep looking to Him to guide you through each event of your life!

God expects us to depend upon Him.

My Response:
» Do I ever get the idea that I am doing okay and don’t need God that badly anymore?
» Am I trusting and depending on God in every area of my life?

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear.” (Psalm 46:1-2a)

Tiffany”s day had been awful. She was the last one picked for a kickball team at recess, her science test grade was her worst yet, her chocolate milk squirted on her favorite shirt at lunch for all to see, her mom was late picking her up from school, and her brother Chris was now bugging her the whole way home from school. “If only I could get some peace and quiet!” she screamed to herself, yet trying to appear outwardly kind. As soon as the car pulled in the driveway, Tiffany ran all the way up the stairs to her bedroom and locked her door. She picked up her favorite stuffed animal (a frog named Gus) from her bed and dove into the back corner of her closet. Hopefully no one would find her here. Only three seconds passed before Tiffany was crying and telling Gus all about her horrible day. Remembering the details of each dreadful experience brought more and more tears. Of course Gus couldn”t respond, but at least Tiffany felt better!

Do you have a quiet place like Tiffany”s closet where you can just think about things? Or maybe you feel better after telling your dog or your favorite toy about your troubles. If you have a place or thing like this in your life, then you have a refuge. A refuge is a place of safety or protection. You may not always need protection from physical danger, but Satan often tries to discourage you and get your focus away from God. And that requires major protection! The Bible tells about a Refuge that is better than any place or thing that you could look to in order to make you feel better when you are upset or discouraged. That refuge is God. We can go to Him in prayer and ask for strength and encouragement.

If you read through the book of Psalms, you will see that the Psalmists refer to God as a refuge 17 times. Of all these references, three particular truths must be kept in mind:

1. God is always ready to be your refuge. He is “a very present help” (Psalm 46:1). That means He will be there for you; He will not be going anywhere else.

2. The refuge God provides is perfect for times of trouble. (See Psalm 9:9.) You can feel confident running to Him in prayer when things are difficult because you know He can help.

3. God will bless you when you choose Him as your refuge. He promises to keep evil and harm away from you when you are trusting in Him. (See Psalm 91:9-10.)

God offers you the best possible place of protection and encouragement.

My Response:
» Who or what am I looking to for encouragement when I”m disappointed or upset?
» To whom should I be running during these times?

“If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” (John 13:14-15)

Can you imagine washing someone’s dirty, slimy feet? This is what Jesus did. Jesus and His disciples were sitting and eating their last dinner together. Jesus stood up from the table, wrapped His robe around His waist, and kneeled down. He took a bowl of water and started to wash His disciples feet. Doesn’t that seem kind of gross? Why would He do that?

In Jesus’ day, people did not own shoes like we do today. They would wear either sandals or maybe no shoes at all. They did not have nice paved sidewalks and roads, either. What do you think your feet would look like if you walked around in the dirt all day with only a pair of sandals on? You would probably need to wash your feet, too! You probably would not be very excited about cleaning someone else’s feet. But Jesus did just that. He got down on the floor and washed all of the disciples’ feet. Once their feet were clean, He told them that He was giving them an example to follow. He was not teaching the disciples to go around cleaning everyone’s feet. He was teaching them to serve the needs of others over their own needs or desires.

Jesus is God. He is awesome, mighty and powerful. Jesus’ disciples should have washed His feet, but He washed theirs instead. He served His disciples (and all of us) in a much greater way and gave a much greater gift than clean feet. Jesus came to Earth and made the ultimate sacrifice. He served us by dying on the cross for our sins. While He was here, He set an example of love-motivated service for all of us to follow. It is natural for us to do only that which makes us happy. Jesus wants us not just to think of our own needs and wishes, but to think about the needs and wishes of people around us.

Jesus served us and He desires that we serve others.

My Response:
» Do I usually only think about myself?
» How can I serve God and others this week?