Lift your eyes

Whoever looks at it after being bitten will live. (Numbers 21:8) 

The story of the Israelites’ grumbling and the punishment of the seraph serpents is just one of many in the Old Testament that recount how hard life in the desert must have been. The plagues that God used to convince Pharaoh to let his people go must have been dramatic—almost as dramatic as the parting of the Red Sea that had sealed their freedom from slavery. The Israelites were the beneficiaries of many displays of divine power, so you can understand their perplexity at the “plague” that God seemed to have unleashed on them. In Egypt, God had taken care of everything so that he could bring them unharmed into the Promised Land. But now things seemed radically different. 

Throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, we see that the journey to the Promised Land was very difficult—and not just because of the harshness of the desert. It was hard because it called for full cooperation with God. How challenging it must have been once the people realized that God was not going to take care of their every problem! It must have been shocking indeed to discover that they needed to put aside their grumblings, work together, and obey God’s commandments. 

Like the Israelites, we too face challenges and difficulties—trials that call for deep trust and cooperation with the Lord. How do we react to these trials? Do we lose hope, get impatient, maybe even grumble and complain? Or do we look to the cross and stand firm on our faith in the goodness of the Lord and the victory that he has won for us?

Whenever you find yourself challenged by life in this valley of tears, remember this reading. Lift high the cross of Christ, and believe in its power. Jesus wants to raise you up, no matter what you are experiencing right now, and fill you with the joy of his kingdom. He is the divine healer who wants you to receive the greatest healing of all: freedom from unbelief, so that you can trust in his goodness and his perfect plan.

“Jesus, I place my faith in the victory you have won for me on the cross. Help me to keep my eyes focused on you.”

from wau.org