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Enjoy Life, Enjoy God


Dale Patterson

LOOKING AT A STICK

August 3, 2009

The faith of Christ is sometimes at risk of turning into a magic act, a trite ritual, or a mechanical superstition. When we pray for a parking place, or that our Little League team will crush the enemy--beware. But there's more important situations than these.

The Lord said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
- Numbers 21:8,9 TNIV

Imagine this: the people of God start whining and murmuring about their hard times again! To which God sends some poisonous snakes into their midst and the people start dropping like flies. They have second thoughts about their whining and scream to Moses. He intercedes and God instructs Moses to tell the people to find God's grace by looking to the bronze snake on a pole. They are saved.

It would be a grievous mistake to reduce such stories to magic acts--just look at the pole and live. However...God's grace is offered to the sinful people simply by looking to God's provision. Today people have "snake bites" all around. What is the rescue? What is the cure? Look at the stick, not a snake, but a cross. Look to Christ, and we will be spared by the overflowing fountains of God's grace.

Sincerely,
 

Dale Patterson