Eating Machine

Isaiah 65:24-25b
“And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear…They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.”

When a rattlesnake strikes, it is so fast that high-speed photography is necessary to study it.

Those famous fangs of the rattlesnake are mounted on hinges so that they can fold up along the roof of the snake’s mouth when not in use. Each fang is a hollow needle, with a canal on the side of the end of the fang through which venom is injected. After only a couple of uses, the fang drops out, to be replaced by another.

When it strikes, the snake’s neck muscles propel the head with such speed that a car with the same acceleration would go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just half a second! As the head moves toward the prey, the fangs unfold and a suitable amount of venom is released into the victim. In less than a second, the snake is back in position. The venom not only kills the victim, but it also begins tenderizing the meat. When he swallows his victim, the rattlesnake can unhinge its jaws to make the job easier.

Scripture tells us that such violence was not part of God’s original plan for the world. It is one of the consequences of sin. But when Christ returns to judge the whole creation, He shall once again provide a perfect world – never touched by sin or evil – for all those who have forgiveness of sin through Him.

Are you ready for His return?

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me prepare for Your return so that I may meet You with joy because I know that I am cleansed of my sin through Your suffering and death on the cross. Amen.

Notes:
Photo: Skull of a rattlesnake. Courtesy of Mokele. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.