A “through the bible” devotion from Numbers 21.
In response to persistent tears and tantrums, my dad said, “If you want to cry, I’ll give you something to cry about!” That straightened us right up, so he never actually had to follow through with that promise.
As I read through numbers, I see a pattern developing. Another day in the wilderness, another complaint from God’s people. The journey isn’t what they expected. “We loathe this worthless food,” that is, the manna God graciously and powerfully provides every day (Numbers 21:5). Oh really? You think this is bad? How about about some snakes!
Attitudes change when people start dying from venomous snake bites. They ask Moses to pray for them. The snakes don’t go away. But Moses puts a bronze snake on a pole. Snake bite? Look at the snake on the pole and you’ll be fine.
I guess if you step back and look at the bigger picture, this episode makes sense. Life’s not easy, but it’s not God’s fault. Remember the serpent in the garden? Remember God’s promise of his defeat (Genesis 3:15)? You do now!
You also need to remember that this is the wilderness, not the promised land. You’re in coach with hardly any leg room, no peanuts, long lines, turbulence, and frequent delays. You can complain all you want, but it’s not going to do much good.
You’ll get there. And then it will be great!
Waite for it... 