Look at the Snake!

This morning was reading a story to my children at the breakfast table and it was scary.  A lot of people seem to lack in the area of "hearing God speak."  This morning reading the story to my children I heard loud and clear the Lord speaking to a situation that surrounds my life and ministry.

The story in a short nutshell goes like this.  Israel, God's chosen people were wandering in the desert for 38 years.  They were having to wander in circles because all they could seem to do was complain and bellyache about how God rescued them out of their slavery to bring them to a promised land.  All they had now was 2 years left on the trip itinerary.  Now the route God took them was honestly a bit ridiculous, but He wanted to test them to see what was in their heart.  Upon finding out that they were an independent and prideful people, constantly complaining against God, the process and God's man, Moses, God told them they could stay out there in the wilderness with their ego's and ungrateful selves.  At this point I will pick up in the book of Numbers...because of the continual bellyaching, God sent a host of poisonous snakes to the camp.  They were in cookware, sleepware, bushes and tents.  In reality the hundreds of thousands of Israeli's were infested with snakes.  The camp was in dire need of intervention.  As usual, Moses went before the Lord and was asked to erect a bronze serpent on a pole and have the people look at it when they were bitten.  Think about it.  Absolutely ridiculous.  Look at the snake and don't die.  And do you want to know what happened next?  Some of the people did not look at the bronze snake on a stick!  Goober.  Are you kidding me.  Yes, the reality is people die around us all the time because of pride and arrogance against God.  Do you think God needed to put a snake on a stick to rid the camp of poisonous snakes?  NO!  But he wanted to see if the people would HUMBLE themselves, listen to Moses and FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS!  Some did, some unbelievably simply would not.  Today is no different.  If I could plead with you today....to not harden your heart against God, and what God is speaking.  It may mean life or death to you, and it might mean living a life of less than your calling and destiny, or it might mean continual wilderness.  Look at the snake-  Stu