John 3: 14, 15 “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Dear God,
Once again, I thank You, because You love us so much that You have rescued us from sin, if we so choose to accept, John 3: 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” At first for the Jews who heard the messages of Jesus, it was hard for them to understand, the role of the Holy Spirit, as it may be for us. By experience I find that it can be a reality for me today when putting sin aside, I pray for the infilling of the Holy Spirit; and as Jesus promised when returning to heaven, the Holy Spirit will be sent to me.
I pray again this morning, that my sins be forgiven, and that I will be filled with the Holy Spirit, who brings me to Jesus, my Saviour in all ways needful.
It is sometimes shocking to me, just how inherent sin is within me, for today when reading the Holy Bible, the irritation I recently felt toward someone else, has been remembered. Even if my emotion is humanly justifiable; it is not wise to entertain such an emotion, especially when reading and meditating upon Your word, for the result is always that I am robbed of the blessings and peace You have for me. Praise Your Holy name, for when I pray my unloving attitude will be dispelled by Your intervention and in love and wisdom, Your pathway will be lighted up before me, and a new heart and attitude is put within me. You will bring about the best answer to my dilemma; which most probably it will not require me to say the thoughts that burn within in me. In the love and comfort given my soul, I stop thinking about myself and the need to be recognized for my contribution or whatever has been ignored by another. I find, sadly, that it is very easy to be sinful, when I look to prideful self; and finally I am bought to recognize the original author of these emotions within me = Satan himself. Do I want that? No!
As Jesus reminded us, after the Israelites had apostatized by worshiping a golden calf, during the forty days Moses was away, You instructed Moses to place a bronze serpent upon a pole making a type of cross shape, and any person who believed in the Your power, symbolized by the cross, did not die of the literal snake bite, from the serpents You allowed into their encampment as the result of their sin. I believe that these serpents were all around them in the wilderness, but by Your intervention the Children of Israel, were normally protected because You kept the serpents away from them. A lesson can be drawn for us from this happening, because we have ‘serpents’ of temptation all around us, and You will protect us from the bite of sin, when we stay on Your pathway.
Today I am afflicted by the ‘snake bite’ of sin, and I can look backward to the cross, as they looked forward, and in the reality of my faith in Jesus, the Son of God, who died for my sins upon the cross and be forgiven of my ‘snake bite’ of sin and know I will live. God did not send Jesus into this world to condemn all mankind for our sins, as we deserve, but for us to be saved from our sins.
Today I will indeed look up to Jesus, as my only answer, in the sure knowledge, that He never refuses me. Hallelujah!
Amen