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“Shaking Off the Snake”

Thoughts for Today:

In Numbers 21:4-9, we find that after murmuring once again, venomous snakes were sent by God to bite the people of Israel -- and they died by the thousands. Moses cried to the Lord on their behalf, "What do we do?" The Lord answered, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."

Have you ever wondered about the significance of the snake on the pole? I'm certain the Israelites wondered as well, that is, until centuries later a Man from Galilee explained it (John 3:14-15): "[Jesus speaking] Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him."

In the same way, it may take months, years -- perhaps not even in our lifetime -- to understand why we were bitten by the snake of grief, misery, or hardship. Still some people refuse to look up and fix their eyes on the Author of Life. Instead they look down at their injury and say, "See my snake. Can you believe how bad the bite is? Help me!"

Other people shake off the snake of Satan's sting -- throwing it into the fire of God's promise. How so? By faith and trust they move on with their life and the work the Lord gave them. (Acts 28: 3-5: "Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, 'This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.' But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.")

It's the point Paul makes in our passage today: When we endure the suffering, we also participate in and experience the Lord's comfort. So it doesn't matter whether the snake that afflicts us is a giant python, highly poisonous viper, or one of the small and harmless garden varieties. We need to shake it off in order to see how God can use us. The snake bites we endure throughout our life are opportunities to learn compassion for other people and gain confidence in God, all of which lead to sharing in God's comfort.

Questions to Ponder:

People are watching. How is your faith displayed when facing adversity? Are grace and peace present? Is there a snake that you need to shake off into the fire of God's promise? Will you do so today?

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About the author

Pocket Devotions are written by Mike Brooks. A retired businessman, he is Moderator of South Shores church, leads the Deacon Board, serves on the finance committee, and he teaches a Men's Bible study and the Men's Ministry. Mike has a passion for evangelical missions. He is the husband of Sherry; the father of Ryan, Natalie, Krissy, Rebecca, and Amanda; the father-in-law of Ariel; and the grandfather of Conner and Christian.