As I stood among the plants out in the backyard, I noticed their leaves were all turned facing the sun. I thought of worshipers with hands raised in praise to God. I thought of creation reaching out toward the creator.
Plants – which respond naturally – reach out toward their source of nourishment. For what do you reach?
Physically, our source of nourishment is found in food.
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Luke 4:4
If we focus only on our physical needs, we will starve spiritually. We were created with a need for God. We need to set our focus on God and God’s Word. Our real and true sustaining nourishment comes from God.
Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
Numbers 21:7-9
All the people had to do was to look up at the brass serpent. God provided yet again for the Israelites, and He provides for us today. However, that passage has a deeper meaning. It is a foreshadowing of Jesus.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:14-18
Just as it was easy for the Israelites to look up and survive the serpent bites, God made it so easy and so simple for us to look up and live.
Jesus was lifted up on a cross. He paid the price for our sin. We need to look to the bread of life – Jesus. Let Him be Lord of our life. Trust that He paid our sin debt in full, and seek a relationship with Him.
LIFE APPLICATION
Today’s challenge is to listen to your natural instinct to reach for a creator. Set aside your distractions and worship God. Ask God to show you for what you reach. Do you reach for Him? Do you reach for things? Do you trust in Jesus? Do you trust in your job, home, or automobile?
Stuff comes and goes. It gets old and breaks, wears out, or rusts out. Jesus is forever. Focus more on reaching for Him!