FAITH CAPSULE: Indeed a worthless complaint will bring forth a death that is not worth it.

Numbers 21: 4-9, John 3:1-21

During the journey of the children of Israel to the Promised Land, they constantly engaged in complaining. The children of Israel in one of their consistent rebellious act of complaining, they positioned themselves for a deadly bite. Numbers 21:5, “And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” The case of their deadly bite was due to their complaining against the quality of bread provided for them by the Almighty God. They have complained for lack of water and bread a number of times, but this time around they were complaining against the quality of the provision of food by calling God’s provision worthless. Indeed a worthless complaint will bring forth a death that is not worth it. This type of complaining provoked the hand of God, “So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.” (Numbers 21:6) Do you complain in any way before God? It is a deadly way of approaching God for needs. In your journey, it is important to avoid taking to the way of complaints directly or indirectly. The way out of the deadly bite for the children of Israel was faith-based prescription. As a result of the deadly bite, the children of Israel cried out for deliverance, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” (Numbers 21:8) The healing and deliverance from a deadly bite requires looking up at the hanged up serpent on the pole. Just as there was a provision for healing in looking up to the pole of the bronze serpent, so we have been provided healing and deliverance by looking up at the cross. John 3:14, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up.” He was lifted up for our healing and deliverance only if we would look up at Him. There is no foolishness in looking up, but foolishness is achieved by taking a stand of not obeying the command of proven evidences in the infallible proofs of the name of Jesus. Remember you cannot be foolish to God’s command, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25) You must believe and look up to Jesus.

Prayer for today: Whatever it is that will cause one to complain, let it not have a place in my life.