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

The Greatest sign

This generation . . . seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it, except the sign of Jonah. (Luke 11:29) 

“Lord, it’s easy to imagine myself in the crowd who was asking for a sign. After all, you’re an invisible God. I can’t perceive you directly with my physical senses. So I confess that sometimes, I have doubted that you’re really present with me. Lord, thank you, because you have never condemned my inner jumble of uncertainties and prayers. Instead, in those times of doubt, your grace has flowed even more intensely—along with your patience and understanding.

“Lord, you are teaching me that you have created the world this way because you value faith, hope, and love. The kind of faith you’re building in me decides to believe even without 100 percent certainty. I wouldn’t experience the thrill of stepping out in this faith if I saw you protecting and guiding me all the time. And how could I express hope if heaven were already settled onto earth? And love? That especially enflames your heart. If I were to feel the enormous weight of your glory, it might lessen the freedom of my decision to surrender myself to you. So thank you for wooing me into friendship with you.

“Lord, when the crowd asked for a sign, some might have felt rebuffed by your response. They didn’t get it—by alluding to Jonah, you showed that a great sign was appearing on the horizon. You would be crucified, buried for three days, and then raised up in glory. This is the greatest sign of all! Because they had seen you alive again, your disciples boldly gave their lives in martyrdom. 

“Lord, help me to cling confidently to these signs you’ve given—and to the ones you’re still revealing to me. You promised, ‘When you look for me, you will find me. Yes, when you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me’ (Jeremiah 29:13-14). Lord, help me to pursue you with my whole heart. I trust that as I walk with you, I will discover more signs than I can count. Lord, help me to believe so that I might see!

“Jesus, thank you for the sign of the cross—the greatest sign of your love.”

from wau.org