Prophetic Word – Consider the Snail

Nicolene Stewart – October 2024 

Observe the snail…

A while ago I was praying and journalling and asked Jesus what He wanted to share with me. I saw a picture of a garden snail and the first thing I sensed Jesus telling me was to observe as the snail carries his house (i.e. his shell) on his back. It is a place of safety and protection. This reminded me of Psalm 91:1 – He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Just like the snail has a place of constant protection where he can withdraw and hide, this is a picture of what we as believers in Jesus Christ has, however we have it even more fortified. God is our hiding place, our strong hold. And no harm can come to us.

You may have noticed that the snail travels VERY slow. He is not in any rush. This reminded me of James 5:7-8 – “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. “

These days the world is in such a rush. Sometimes we find it painful to be around people that walk and talk slowly (because time is precious right?) Yes indeed, therefore God wants us to slow down. Be in step and in pace with Him. The snail reaches its’ destination. So will we. And God wants to teach us things along the way.

When the snail travels, you know it was in the area evident from its silver slime trail that it leaves behind. Just like the snail, we as Christians should leave behind evidence that we were in a place. Matt 10:12 talks about what we should leave behind when we meet people. V12 – “when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.”

Do you bring peace to any atmosphere. You carry the supernatural peace of Jesus. The atmosphere should shift when we enter in.

A snail’s eyes cannot distinguish between colour and it cannot focus completely, however it relies on discerning between “light” and “darkness”. I felt Jesus say that this is His heart for His children in this time. That you will focus on what is “light” and from Him vs what is “darkness” and from the enemy. Anything else is just distraction. John 8:12 says: “Then Jesus spoke to them again saying: I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life.” We have the light of life and we bring life and light into every situation.

Apparently, a snail will not get cut if it moves over a sharp razor blade because of it’s protective slimy mucus. We are covered by the blood of Jesus. 1 Cor 15:54 – “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” No matter what the enemy throws at us, no matter how sharp his weapons – nothing formed against us shall prosper – Ps 27:3

Snails are pollinators. The pollen from flowers and plants stick to their bodies and shells and they carry it from flower to flower. Remarkably, they do their pollination service when most insect pollinators are inactive, that is during the nights and rainy days when snails are most active. Research has shown that on rainy days, one small snail was successfully pollinating more flowers than by bees. The question is, are we sharing the Kingdom of God during times when it is uncomfortable, when it costs us? When it matters? When no one else is doing it? The pollen is like the word of God that pollinates people’s hearts, and it grows and matures. We need to share the Gospel and warfare when it matters most. When others are asleep or when the circumstances aren’t great. When others give up or hide away, that is when we do real damage to the enemy’s camp. That is when God’s message is most effective.

The snail does it slowly but effectively. So even if you don’t see any fruit, keep doing good because in due time you will see the harvest Galatians 6:9.

Be blessed 😊

Nicolene
Bold Existence Team