He Provides a Way

“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.’ ” – Numbers 21:8 The Israelites find themselves in the desert, where they sin, offend God, complain, and curse Him. As a consequence, they are punished with snakes that begin to bite the people, causing many to die. In their anguish, they repent and approach the prophet Moses, asking him to pray to the Lord for the removal of the snakes. However, God does not take the snakes away. This presents a difficult lesson in life: God does not simply remove our problems—symbolized here by the snakes. Instead, He provides a way forward. He offers healing and strength, but He does not eliminate the challenges we face.  When I was a young man, I didn’t understand much about life or the world from this perspective.