LIVING BELOW THE SNAKELINE
“Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)
There is a story told of a housing development in an area that in which one neighborhood of houses was built on a higher ground than another neighborhood of houses built just hundreds of yards away. The houses were built exactly alike, however during the construction of these houses, the contractors discovered there was a snake problem on the lower ground where they were building and that snakes were coming into the houses. When these houses in both neighborhoods were put on the market for sale, the houses built on the lower ground where the snake problem was were priced considerably lower than the houses built on the higher ground. Customers would inquire why the price was so much different and it would be explained to them that those houses were built below the snakeline and the snakes would come into the houses. In spite of this because of the savings, many of the prospective owners chose to buy in the lower ground level.
After moving in, the new owners discovered they had been told the truth but with their new investment and now word had gotten out, they could not do anything but deal with the consequences of their choices. In the town where they lived, those living in this area were called, “those living below the snakeline.”
There are many in our world today who like those who chose to try and save a few dollars in buying those houses below the snakeline, have also settled for less than what God wants for them. Many in our world today are living below the snakeline, below the privileges, opportunities, and blessings that God so desires to give them. In the passage quoted above God tells us that He has set before us a blessing and a curse depending on our obedience to His commandments. The choice is ours. We can be blessed by God or we can be cursed by God. Unfortunately many have chosen not to obey God’s commandments and are living below the snakeline and have to deal with consequences of their choices in the same way those who bought houses below the snakeline had to deal with snakes in their homes.
What about you? What choices are you making? Are you obeying God’s commandments or are you living below the snakeline?