Bible Reading: Matthew 10:16-20; John 14:15-17, 25-27

Joy took a deep breath of the fresh afternoon air. Her older brother paused now and then to examine a tree or check out animal prints. Living near the woods was nice because you could take a nature walk whenever you wanted to.

Suddenly, the kids heard a menacing rattle. James flung his arm in front of Joy and stopped her from continuing down the trail. There, just a few feet from where they stood, was a large snake rattling its tail. When it rose to assume a striking position, Joy felt her mouth dry instantly with fear.

"Stay still and quiet," James whispered. A few seconds later, he laughed. "Notice anything about that snake, Joy?"

"It's blue," Joy whispered, confused. "So, it's not a rattlesnake?" Michigan had only one kind of venomous snake, the Massasauga rattlesnake. Because of where they lived, Mom ensured they knew all about it.

"Nope, I'm pretty sure it's a blue racer," said James. "See how there's no rattle on its tail?"

The snake lowered its head and darted down the path away from them.

"Whoa, it's fast!" said Joy.

"That's why they're called blue racers!"

Joy was in awe. "Blue racers are wise to make us think they're rattlers. The way it shook its tail against the leaves sounded like the sound real rattlesnakes make!"

The siblings followed a gentle cooing sound around the next bend. Perched on a high tree branch was a grey bird. "That's a mourning dove," Joy noted. "I'd rather see birds than snakes!"

"Hey, sis, I just thought of something! Remember that verse in Matthew Mom was talking to us about last week?"

"The one about snakes and doves…" Joy gasped. "That verse said, 'Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.'"

James nodded. "Jesus wanted His disciples to spread the good news of how He came to save us. He warned them that some people would not want to accept their message, so they had to be wise about how they shared it--in both their words and their actions," James recalled. "Like them, we need to trust God to help us share His love and truth with wisdom and innocence."

–Savannah Coleman

How About You?
Do you ever worry about what to say to someone who doesn't know Jesus? Jesus told His disciples that sharing the truth about Him wouldn't be easy, but He promised they wouldn't have to do it alone. If you are a child of God, you have His Holy Spirit inside you to help you and guide you. Rely on Him to give you the wisdom you need as you share the truth and love of Jesus with others.

Today's Key Verse:
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. (NIV) (Colossians 4:5)

Today's Key Thought:
Be wise in sharing Jesus