We have never seen snakes at this camp in the years we have been coming. This week there were 4. We have never seen the Holy Spirit move among students in the way we did this week. That is saying something because I have witnessed and been part of some incredible times of refreshing and joy poured out by Jesus onto the kids. This week was different. The first glimpse we saw of the power of Jesus working happened the very first night. He continued moving in all grades, genders, nationalities, and personalities. No wonder there were snakes.
3 of the snakes were alive: one rattlesnake, one brown water snake, and one unidentified. (They are all anaconda-cobra-vipers to me!) One snake was of a more spiritual realm in nature – God’s enemy, satan or the devil. In the Bible, He is referred to as a snake who is a cunning, crafty, deceiver. * As an enemy of God, he hates seeing people’s eyes and hearts being opened to God and the things of Him. The more kids responded to Jesus, the more the enemy tried to weasel his way into the middle of things – to distract, to create strife, to frighten. But he lost! What the enemy meant for evil, worked for the Lord’s and our good. Confusion, skirmishes, and words between kids ended with clarity, apologies, hugs, and reconciliation.
Just as the physical snakes didn’t cause fear nor disrupt God’s glory, neither did satan gain any foothold. I guess it proved he’s got no legs to stand on. 😉 If anything, the kids were stronger and more unified as they shook him off and focused on discovery, depth, hope, riches, and power which are the benefits of a relationship with Jesus.
Ephesians 1:18-21 “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may KNOW Him BETTER. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the HOPE to which He has called you, the RICHES of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great POWER for us who believe. This is the same MIGHTY STRENGTH He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age, but also in the one to come.”
Our camp theme was “Faith Over Fear.” I watched that in action on a physical and spiritual level. Team Jesus WINS! Satan, that wiley serpent, not only lost during camp week, he loses in the end. “Thanks be to God, who gives us the VICTORY through our Lord Jesus Christ”! (1 Cor 15:57) AMEN!
*Genesis 3:1-5, 13-15, 2 Corinthians 11:3, Revelation 12:9, 20:2-3
