Opening Prayer
Almighty God, we Your people have
constantly rebelled against You, constantly grumbled, constantly turned within
ourselves seeking our own salvation. But You, in Your great mercy, constantly
pursue us, constantly forgive us, and constantly work great wonders to bring
about our salvation. Continue to transform us into true children of God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord and the sanctifying Spirit. Amen.
Numbers 21:4-9
They set out from Mount Hor along
the Red Sea Road, a detour around the land of Edom. The people became irritable
and cross as they traveled. They spoke out against God and Moses: “Why did you
drag us out of Egypt to die in this godforsaken country? No decent food, no
water—we can’t stomach this stuff any longer.”
So GOD sent poisonous snakes among
the people; they bit them and many in Israel died. The people came to Moses and
said, “We sinned when we spoke out against GOD and you. Pray to GOD; ask him to
take these snakes from us.”
Moses prayed for the people.
GOD said to Moses, “Make a snake
and put it on a flagpole: Whoever is bitten and looks at it will live.”
So Moses made a snake of fiery
copper and put it on top of a flagpole. Anyone bitten by a snake who then
looked at the copper snake lived. The Message
Psalm 107:17-22
Some of you were sick because you’d
lived a bad life,
your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
You couldn’t stand the sight of
food,
so miserable you thought you’d be better off dead.
Then you called out to GOD in your
desperate condition;
he got you out in the nick of time.
He spoke the word that healed you,
that pulled you back from the brink of death.
So thank GOD for his marvelous
love,
for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
Offer thanksgiving sacrifices,
tell the world what he’s done—sing it out! The
Message
Do we think his mercy through the
snake is wondrous? It is only the foretaste, the type, of a yet greater mercy
whose wonders we can’t begin to fathom. BR
practicing
the story
Recall a desperate situation where
you called out to God and he got you out in the nick of time. Refresh your
gratitude today.
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