A classic board game called ‘Snakes & Ladders’ can unlock some Biblical truths which might otherwise be hard to comprehend. The game has interesting parallels to what can happen in our lives. ‘Snakes and Ladders’ confirms what we desire and fear most. It confirms the fact that we do not have level plain field. Some encounter opportunities and some encounter dangers. It confirms the fact that bad things could happen to good people. If we look through the eyes of ‘Snakes & Ladders’, the world is a minefield. Dangers are always around the corner. Snakes do not discriminate. But, does that mean you should go up and down, and accept defeat as part of life?
a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall… (Proverbs 24:16) NKJV
You must have heard the saying that ‘life is short’. That is because, to many people there is no guarantee that they will reach the finish line. That is why we must avoid “snakes” and climb the “ladders”. Even if your lifespan is going to be the 930 years that Adam and Eve lived, you will still need ladders of opportunity. That is the only way you can reach the finish-line in your lifetime. The Bible calls it a race because you can’t get there by plodding along with the rest of the world.
Now let’s get into the ‘Snakes and Ladders’ game. The first thing you should know is that the speed and the direction you move depend on the dice. It all depends on how your dice rolls. Snakes aren’t the problem. If only you can decide how your dice lands, you will decide your future. Your future depends on who is rolling your dice. More in my book (UK) (US).
Hence, we can’t pray for God to remove snakes. We aren’t even going to let the devil and his snakes occupy our minds. God has already worked out the way and dealt with our situations well in advance. He knows the path to our destination. If you could only let God roll the dice.
You only have a chance if God is the one rolling the dice? He has already promised to set a banquet for us in the midst of our enemies or snakes. Table is set. Enemies or snakes aren’t going away. They will only helplessly watch you moving forward. You can triumph over snakes in the way that Jesus overcame Satan in the wilderness.
But the world has trained us to roll our own dice. The world has also created its own set of ladders for us to climb. Money, image, status and fame are some of the ladders that the world provides. Personal possessions, a job and a career are the ladders. All the worldly ladders are artificially inflated, and the devil can easily pop the bubble. We can easily be deflated. People are moving fast up to end up being deflated straight down by the bite of the snakes of life. If you are the ones who is rolling the dice, there are no guarantees.
God has His set of ladders. If we want to safely navigate through life, we will need a different set of ladders. Jesus didn’t come to remove snakes. He provided us with a different set of ladders…
Love is a ladder.
Joy is a ladder.
Peace is a ladder.
Kindness is a ladder.
Gentleness is a ladder.
Self-control is a ladder.
Patience is a ladder.
Faith is a ladder.
Once we have allowed Jesus be the Lord of our lives, we can let Him roll the dice. We can be patient enough to wait for the dice to stop rolling. Once the direction is clear, there will be some steps to take and ladders to climb. We will take those steps and not add or subtract from them. More in my book (UK) (US).
“I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” said Jesus (John 5:30) NKJV
The question is ‘Which ladders are you climbing?’ Some people have chosen to stand still. They have found a safe spot between snakes and ladders. They have chosen to be spectators. It may feels like… If I move, I face the risk of being swallowed by a snake. Therefore I refuse to move. I choose to play safe. I will just stay home and pray, paralysed by fear. Or i will hide in a safe and secure job. However, coward is not an option. We need to get to the finish line. We need to take steps which have been guaranteed. God has guaranteed progress to those who have allowed Him to roll the dice.
If we do not want to be overtaken “whoosh…” by evil, we will need to learn to use the ladders that God has provided. Snakes are all around us. They will try to divert us from our future and our joy. Thousands of species are mentioned in the Bible…
Envy is a snake.
Offence is a snake.
Unforgiveness is a snake.
Ignorance is a snake.
Adultery is a snake.
Laziness is a snake.
Strife is a snake.
Pride is a snake.
Jesus lived in a place where religious leaders had turned into snakes. The Pharisees and Sadducees were religious snakes. They always wanted to kill Jesus. They were full of envy and pride. Envy, pride, and offence came out of their lives like poison. The devil thought he could derail Jesus. He thought he could ensure that he does not reach the finish line. He wanted to drag him back to the starting point. In the world today, he can use divorce, offence, unemployment, discouragement, fear and hundreds of other snakes. The gains we have made thus far can easily be wiped out. Jesus said…
The thief [devil] does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10) NKJV
The world can’t tempt me to roll my own dice because I do not even keep my dice. It is in the hands of Jesus. I have given my life to Jesus. Jesus rolls the dice for me and the Holy Spirit guides my steps.
This is Raha Ernest for faithnibbles.com
More in my book which is finally published. Click the link below to get “Your Copy of Freedom”. Money back guaranteed by amazon.co.uk (UK) or amazon.com (US)
Please use the comment box to let me know of any grammatical errors and suggestions, or leave a comment if you are blessed . Many thanks for your support/tip. Love you 🙂
