THE SNAKE THAT WOULD NOT STRIKE

“The Great Spirit is with him.”

In the dense wilds of New Jersey in the 1740s, David Brainerd knelt alone in prayer near the tribal lands of the Delaware Indians.

Unbeknownst to him, warriors watched from the woods with deadly intent. But something happened that none could explain.

A large rattlesnake slithered toward the kneeling missionary. It raised its head, poised to strike at the back of his bowed form. Brainerd did not flinch. He was deep in communion with God. The warriors held their breath. And then, the serpent lowered its head, turned quietly, and disappeared into the brush.

They did not attack.

Instead, they returned to the village and said, “The Great Spirit is with him.” From that moment on, David Brainerd was received with reverence, and the Gospel was given a hearing among the very people who once sought his death.

The wilderness may be thick with danger, but it is also filled with unseen providence. The powers of darkness may approach, but they cannot prevail where God has stationed His shield.

Brainerd did not know that death was watching. Nor did he know that heaven was intervening. He simply prayed. That was enough.