Halfway through Numbers, I messaged two of my friends (who are following the same Bible reading plan) to complain that I hadn’t ‘seen’ Jesus in the book yet..
Well, the reading for the following day included a passage from which Jesus literally referenced Himself in the book of John:
“And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.”
To set the scene:
When the Israelites complained and mumbled against God for like the 100th time, He sent poisonous snakes amongst them. Many of them were dying from the snake bites and cried out for salvation. God instructed Moses to fashion a bronze snake to which they would look and be saved. That’s the story Jesus mentions in the verse above.
I read this on a day when I was behaving a lot like the Israelites; complaining to God about the same things over and over again, not learning from how He had answered me in previous times. My friend, Eniola, figuratively dubs this ‘spiritual amnesia’.
Spiritual amnesia is dangerous because it leads to mumbling and grumbling. That might not seem like a big deal to us, but it’s very big deal to God. In fact, the Israelites did it so much that God finally put His foot down and sent them into time out – for 40 years. All because they were ungrateful.
Side note: As I sat down to write this blog, I already had an idea of the direction I wanted to take it in. But like with all the previous ones, here I find myself speaking on things I didn’t plan to. That’s God for you.
So let’s talk about ungratefulness; the wandering Israelites are a perfect case study.
We are often ungrateful about the present because we either
(1) fantasize about the terrible past, or
(2) forget the good past
The Israelites were slaves in Egypt. They were oppressed, their innocent baby boys were murdered, and they were given back-breaking, unattainable tasks. Because of this they cried out to God for freedom, and when He did free them, what did they do? Reminisce about how their lives in Egypt weren’t actually that bad, about how they had better food compared to in the desert, and how they’d rather go back to bondage than be free. It’s ridiculous to hear, but I reckon many of us think just like them.
It’s like excessive drinking. In the moment you want to get drunk and are enjoying it. But the next morning, when you’re throwing up or your head is pounding and you feel sick, you regret it and swear you’ll never do it again. How long does it take you to forget? For the weaker amongst us it may be a few days, for the stronger a few months. But we all end up back at the same place.
The same goes for the second cause of ungratefulness. You would think that after God performed unbelievable wonders in Egypt (ultimately parting the Red Sea), brought out water from a rock , and sent them food from heaven every single day, the Israelites would have faith that He could enable them win wars in the Promised Land. Instead, they focused on their weaknesses and forgot the miracles of days gone by.
How do we stop ourselves from doing the same things?
Just like the Israelites looked to the bronze snake, I believe our cure is to look to the Jesus on the cross. To constantly remind ourselves of His sacrifice and of what drove Him there in the first place – our sin. This deals with the first cause; it’s hard to romanticize something which you are constantly reminding yourself is bad.
But the cross also deters spiritual amnesia. Of all the good things God has given you and me, the best is the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. When we deep that, it’s hard to believe that same God will not continue to give us good things. In fact, He’s always doing that. We just may be so used to it that we take them for granted.
I’d like to challenge you. For the next week, start each day by articulating something you’re grateful to God for. Meditate on it during the day. Say thank you again before you go to bed. If you struggle to come up with something on any day, remember the cross. Remember what God saved you from, and what He’s saved you for (read another blog here for more on that).
Let me know how it goes for you. I guarantee you will find yourself in a better place with God. Gratitude is, after all, His will for us.
“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”