Let's Beware Of Those Hidden Rattlers!
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesWhen I was a boy growing up on a farm, my grandad and I killed ten rattlesnakes in one day. A rattler can easily be killed if you know where it is and how far it can reach when it strikes. My grandad and I never worried about the rattlesnakes we could see, but we were genuinely concerned about stepping on one we couldn’t see.
In the Old Testament, King Hezekiah was subtly “bitten” by a hidden temptation — not seduced by an obvious evil. He allowed a measure of pride and self-reliance to blight his career. He should have put his full trust in the Lord for protection from his enemies, but instead sought safety through an alliance with idolatrous men (cf. 2 Kings 20:12-13; 2 Chronicles 32:25; 2 Chronicles 32:31).
It’s sad to realize that this otherwise good king marred his reign by this sin. We need to be on guard lest we allow pride to build up in our hearts until, like Hezekiah, we succumb to the wiles of the enemy.
The Proverb writer tells us:
“A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor” (Proverbs 29:23 – NKJV).
We may be prepared to stand against obvious temptations to sin that would bring dishonor to our name, but we may not be ready for life’s “subtle” temptations.
Let’s beware of those “hidden rattlers” — they’re the most dangerous of all!