Living Above the Snake Line

 (Act 28:3 KJV) And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

This scripture is not meant to just fill a page in the Bible, it is meant to show us a very important principle.

Just because Paul was spiritually sensitive in some areas of his life that did not mean that he was spiritually sensitive in all areas of his life. As we see in our text, when he picked up a bundle of sticks to put on the fire, he was totally unaware of the snake that was hiding in that bundle of sticks. He only became aware of the snake when the heat of the fire stirred up the snake and it bit him on the hand. This shows us that he was not necessarily sensitive to everything that was dangerous.

The second part of the principle is this...just because Paul was not sensitive to the danger of the snake that did not mean that he did not live in a state of anointing. This was proven when the snake bit him and yet it did him no harm. It was the anointing on Paul that made the difference. This proves that one’s anointing is not the same thing as one’s sensitivity.

Once while in Colorado Springs I rode the cogwheel train up to Pikes Peak. As we chugged along, the temperature began to change and the trees began getting shorter. The conductor came over the loud speaker and said, “Folks, we are now above the snake line.” In other words snakes did not live at that altitude…they like warmer climate.

Over the years I have thought about the comment the cogwheel conductor made and I have come to the conclusion that there is a spiritual principle in his statement. And that is, each of us can live in a spiritual place in God that is also above the spiritual snake line.

Jesus lived above the spiritual snake line and therefore no harm could come to Him. When there were those who wanted to harm Him, He passed through the crowd unnoticed. When the storms came up on the sea he walked on the water. When there was a need for tax money He told Peter that he could find the money in the fish’s mouth. Even when the soldiers came to capture Him and to ultimately crucify Him, they could do nothing until He chose to yield Himself to them.

Could all of this mean that we have spent most of our lives living below the snake line, when in fact we could have been living above the snake line? If that is the case then I have decided that I am going back and learn from my cogwheel experience and reevaluate where I have been spending most of my time. I suggest that all of us stop and ponder this possibility and then go up our spiritual mountain.

Father,

Help us to enjoy all of the benefits of our salvation. Teach us how to live—like Jesus did—in that heavenly place as an overcomer while here on earth. Help us to understand that there really is a spiritual place called “living above the snake line.”

Amen