Monday night, I was very tired. It was time to go to bed so I opened the back door so the dogs could go out one last time. As they disappeared into the darkness, I stood on the back porch and waited for them to return. That’s when I heard a loud rattling sound. I looked down, and next to the porch, wrapped around a rose bush, was the biggest rattlesnake in the history of rattlesnakes.
To make matters worse, our little dog Piper, who is no rocket scientist, was curiously looking at the poisonous snake, not realizing the terrible danger she was in.
I called the dogs onto the porch and put them in the house. Then Shannon brought a shovel.
Under the moonlight and with the help of a flashlight, I fought a rattlesnake as big as a dinosaur. Then I sent it to rattlesnake heaven. Needless to say, even though it was bedtime, I was wide awake. This got me thinking.
One moment I was ready to fall asleep; the next moment, I was afraid one of our dogs was going to be killed by a rattlesnake. This was something I didn’t expect.
That’s how life works. The unexpected becomes reality. Rattlesnakes are next to the porch, drunk drivers veer into oncoming traffic, doctors diagnose cancer, companies hand out pink slips, ATVs flip, computer hard drives crash, recreational drug users become addicts, happy looking couples divorce, and mass shootings have become the norm.
So in an ever-changing, unexpected existence, what can you fully depend upon? The answer is always God. He is the solid foundation in a fluid world.
God’s promise is this: “I am the Lord your God, who grasps your strong hand, who says to you, “Don’t fear; I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:13)
Put your trust in the one who will never let you down. It’s the best way to live.
Prayer: Dear Gracious Heavenly God, as I face the unpredictability of a new day, help me put my hand in yours. Walk me through the good and bad I encounter. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
The only truly predictable thing in this ever-changing world is God’s love. Everything else is up for grabs. Thank God for God.
Also, I intend to contact the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History to see if they are interested in the carcass of the biggest rattlesnake the world has ever seen. It would make a great exhibit.
I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins
Daily Devotionals by Dr. Tom Robbins 