March 10: Numbers 21:4-9

Key Verse: Numbers 21:8
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.’

Devotion:
When we cry out to God in our desperation, He often answers us in ways we cannot see because we think He has to do such a difficult thing… whereas He knows He is doing something simple! When the people of Israel were being led through the desert, they grew impatient and wanted God to give them their land before they grew any more thirsty and had to face any more hardships!

When the snakes arrived on the scene the people were terrified they would all die from snake bites, never mind from thirst or heat stroke! They could not see a way out of their situation because they focused on all the bad things happening. God had promised them a land of ‘milk and honey’ and yet they had lost sight of their target.

The people cried out all the more when the snakes were biting and they begged Moses to ask God to take away the snakes so they could at least live! They realised they had been a bit harsh with their words and they asked for forgiveness. What God told Moses to do was something very different from what they expected!

Moses was told to make a statue of a snake and put it on a pole to be lifted up. This must have gone against their thoughts – why should they lift up a snake on a pole when they were trying to get rid of the snakes! But God wanted them to stop looking at the immediate issues and to look at something He was doing. When God is doing something, we should take notice and praise Him for what He does!

Points to Ponder:
Do you focus on your problems?

Or do you focus on what God can do?

March 9: Luke 18:9-14

Key Verse: Luke 18:14
‘I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’

Devotion:
I cannot imagine what it would be like to be aware of what people were thinking or feeling all the time! I know we see films made about people who can sense other things or read people’s minds, but they are all science fiction and fantasy for us and for our entertainment. None of us have been given the gifts Jesus had during His life on earth!

I wonder how many times Jesus would stop and tell people a parable and the people around would get more confused instead of hearing the parable as a warning to themselves and their ways! Here Jesus is trying to get the people around Him to be humble before God instead of being overly righteous in their acting – and I say acting because we do that!

Jesus wants us to be honest and humble before Him. He does not want us to be the best and the brightest because He knows we are all broken and in need of a Saviour. He wants us to acknowledge those facts and still come to Him for love and guidance.

The tax collector in His parable here was standing at the back trying not to be noticed as he repented of his ways before God. Why should we shout out about how good or bad we are? We should be loving and supporting one another so we can feel confident in coming before Him with open and repentant hearts.

Points to Ponder:
How good do you think you are?

Will you put that aside and be honest with God?

March 8: Psalm 81:6-10

Key Verse: Psalm 81:8
Hear me, my people, and I will warn you – if you would only listen to me, Israel!

Devotion:
Have you ever tried to sit down and count how many times God warned the people of Israel about only following Him, only worshipping Him and listening to Him? Time and time again God had to warn the people of Israel through prophets, kings and priests. They would listen for a while and then get side-tracked and go off and do strange things!

Nothing much has changed for us nowadays either. We promise to follow God, to listen to Him and to obey Him, then we get side-tracked by the world and by other people. We begin to do things according to what people say instead of listening to God and His instructions. We run off and do things we know in our hearts we should not be doing, just because we think it will be OK this time.

God does not change and His instructions will not change over time. If we cannot follow them in the beginning then we will find it difficult to follow Him at all. If we do follow Him and then go off and do other things, we are making a choice to do that. We are choosing to run off in the other direction which is what God has warned us time and time again about!

I can almost imagine God pulling His hair out and pleading “why will you not listen!” God is the one who has done so much for us from the beginning. He is the one who continues to do things for us, even when we turn our backs on Him at times. He does this because of this great love He has for us. If we can see that we should respect Him and show Him love in return!

Points to Ponder:
Did you follow God at one point?

Will you still follow Him?