Acts 28: 3,5 “Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.”

Paul and the rest of the crew had survived a shipwreck, safely swimming to shore on the island of Malta. Since it was cold and raining, the people of the island built a fire to welcome these strangers, and Paul was helping to collect wood. You can imagine his startled surprise when a poisonous snake latched on to him! His Sympathetic Nervous System kicked in with rapid involuntary responses to pain and stress…also called the “Fight or Flight” response we all experience at one time or another. In his alarm, Paul quickly flung the snake into the fire. Was he in pain and suffering post snake bite? Probably, but it caught the attention of the islanders who then watched him closely…waiting for him to suddenly drop over dead. But when this did not happen, their minds were changed about him and it opened the way for Paul to minister healing to the sick and debilitated on the island. God never promised us a lifetime of comfort…for witnessing during our pain and suffering can bring others to Him.

Author: kezha1

A Christian mother, grandmother, and retired nurse living in Illinois. Called into a ministry of encouraging others to find their ultimate plan and purpose in life through Christ. View all posts by kezha1