Some people are able to use their mouths as weapons more successfully than others. You can hear it in their preaching; you can hear it in their speaking; you can hear it in their confessions; you can hear it in their counselling and you can hear it in their teaching. When you become a strong proclaimer and confessor of the Word of God, you will be wise as a serpent.
Out of his mouth go burning torches; Sparks of fire leap forth.
Job 41:19, (NASB)
Serpents are considered to be wise because they have been able to flourish even though they are hated by everyone. Many leaders face a lot of opposition from doing what is right. You may be a lonely leader as you lead your group with strength. You can continue to do your work as a leader in spite of the opposition around you. You can use the wisdom of a snake to do this.
Snakes are wise because they use their mouths as weapons to fight, to win and to dominate their enemies. A minister will be wise when he uses his mouth as a weapon to fight, to win and to dominate in the Spirit. Every leader will demonstrate wisdom by using his mouth as a weapon to fight.
The mouth of a snake is an amazing weapon that it uses very successfully. Snakes do not chew their food. Their teeth are good for catching and holding prey, but not suitable for chewing. They have a very flexible lower jaw – the two halves of which are not rigidly attached. They also have numerous other joints in their skull, allowing them to open their mouths wide enough to swallow their prey whole. Snakes are therefore able to swallow their prey whole even if it is larger in diameter than the snake itself. This kind of mouth combined with the venom makes a snake an awesome predator.
Have you ever thought about the fact that there are no lions roaming around near your house? Do you realise that there are probably snakes in your area? At least, I have seen snakes in every house I have ever lived in. Lions are simply non-existent in your area. They have been wiped out because they do not operate by the wisdom of the serpent. They operate by another kind of wisdom – the wisdom of a lion. The wisdom of a lion makes us have a proper respect and fear for lions. But the wisdom of a lion has not enabled the lion to flourish and multiply successfully in cities all over the world. The population of lions is dwindling! Lions are becoming extinct! Snakes, on the other hand, are mysteriously found in every city and neighbourhood. In that sense, the snake is wiser than the lion because it has prevailed, flourished and prospered whereas the lions have become fewer and are nearing extinction.
Every leader has been given some power in the mouth. Dear leader, do you use the power in your mouth? In fact, even our salvation comes to us when we open our mouths and confess what we believe with our hearts. “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
Jesus sent forth His disciples whom He had trained in His work. He cautioned them thus: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore WISE AS SERPENTS, and harmless as doves (Matthew 10:16).
To be wise, you must think, meditate and ponder over facts, truths and statements. You cannot just gloss over deep sayings that mean so much. When Jesus said, ‘be wise as serpents,’ He was giving a dark saying; a saying that is full of wisdom, meaning and guidance. There is wisdom of serpents that will make us attain to amazing heights and we must find and practice it. To be wise as a serpent, you must use the gift and the grace God has given you. You must develop the power of the mouth. You are snared with the words of your mouth and you are taken with the words of your mouth.
Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth; thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.
Proverbs 6:2
As we begin this new year, remember the power that rests in your mouth and use that power to lead powerfully. May you use this gift and grace God has given to forge ahead! May you be successful because you use and practise the wisdom of a serpent!
A Happy New Year to you!
theaol@ymail.com
By Dag Heward-Mills