When the viper fastened itself around the hand of Paul, the barbarians expected that he should have become swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly. They expected sudden disaster to happen to Paul. They expected the hanging around of the beast to lead to something worse for Paul. They made their calculations, and they felt that Paul was about to go down; they expected Paul to be an example of bad news.
Friend, hear me as I hear the Lord: you will not be a victim of sudden death or disaster; you will not suddenly go down; your health will not suddenly go under; your destiny will not suffer shipwreck; you will not be an example of bad news; you will not be an expression of the wickedness of the enemy; you will not be a victim of the works of darkness; you will not be a fulfillment of negative expectations; no harm will come to you.
Apparently, the barbarians imagined that having picked up a venomous beast, Paul had no chance of staying alive. They expected what should happen to someone who picked up a beast to happen to him, but it didn’t happen. Hear me as I hear the Lord: those that are waiting for negativity to come your way will wait forever. It may have happened to others but it will not happen to you; it may have befallen others but it won’t befall you.
The barbarians waited for a while, expecting evil to happen to Paul, but it never happened. Go and announce to those who are waiting for evil to come your way: they will wait forever, and they will see no evil or hear no evil. The more they wait to see evil and misfortune in your life, the more God will show up mightily in your life; the more they wish you evil, the more God will show you grace and mercy.
You belong to the company of those whose lives are not a destination for disaster. There shall be no shame, no pain, no sudden disaster, no sudden destruction, and no sudden devastation.
