Devotion by Pastor Aries Zulkarnain
After a year and a half, the world is still grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and remains uncertain about what the future will look like. Clearly, it has affected our lives and resulted in many people struggling spiritually, emotionally, physically and economically.
In times like this, we often wonder where is God and what do we need to do to move His hand for us?
Our situation today reminds me of the time when Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:14-15 (NIV),
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
Jesus used the analogy from Numbers 21. After many fatalities resulting in being bitten by the venomous snakes, the people begged Moses to intercede with God on their behalf. God relented and instructed Moses to make a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. Anyone bitten by a serpent would be healed by gazing at the bronze serpent.
In John, Jesus said that those who BELIEVED in the Son of Man who was lifted up, would have eternal life. In Numbers, those who simply LOOKED at the serpent—a representation of Him who would take on the sin of the world—was healed. Look to Jesus and believe! This is what the gospel is all about.
The gospel of salvation is not just applicable to the salvation of our souls from sin and death; it is also applicable to how we can live our lives victoriously in Christ. Our deliverance and salvation come from the Lord; but while waiting for that to happen, we must keep our eyes on Jesus and remain steadfast to believe in His salvation.
What does “looking to Jesus” mean?
- Shift your FOCUS from SELF to GOD.
- Shift your PERSPECTIVE from “WANTS” to “NEEDS”.
- Shift your view of prayer from mere EXCHANGES to complete TRUST in God.
Crises and problems will inevitably cause us to worry and be fearful. The fear of “not having enough” and “not being good enough” to handle this crisis can drive us into self-preservation mode. It’s only natural to try and do something about it.
But what if after having done all, you still yield nothing?
Beloved, look to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith! He is faithful! Looking at Jesus requires zero effort and zero work on our part. But that’s what the gospel is all about—coming to the end of ourselves, acknowledging God as our Saviour, and allowing Him take control over our lives instead of doing it our way. Only then, can His grace and power work in us as we go through our circumstances.
Turn your focus from SELF to GOD; from trying to control the outcome to surrendering yourself completely to the One who holds our future.
When “heaven” cuts off our supply, it’s time for us to go back to the source of our supply! The promise that He made with us is this: God shall supply all our NEEDS— not our WANTS.
In good times, have we unknowingly changed our perspective about God as One who provides our “wants” instead of our “needs”? Crises often shed light on what we have turned to and turned into. We have turned into fear, worry and anxiety because we have turned to material things as our source of security, hope and future. Instead, we should look to Jesus, the Source of our security!
Looking unto Jesus requires us to completely believe in Him for our salvation. Unfortunately, because we miss this point completely, we often approach God wrongly in our prayers.
We think that the harder our problem is, the more “sacrifices” or works we must do to please Him or for Him to hear our prayers and perform a miracle. God doesn’t work like that. What He delights from us is our faith and complete trust in Him. Our relationship with God is not determined by what we can do in exchange or what we can use as bargaining chips. God is not a “cheapo” who wants to bargain with you-He is a GIVER.
When you pray, shift your focus from looking to God for answers only to gazing at God until you can fully entrust your life to Him. He is a good heavenly Father who knows your needs even before you pray to Him about them.
Learn the gospel way of Salvation … simply look and believe in Jesus. In the end, it’s not about how or what we can get out of this pandemic, but it’s WHO will deliver us from this pandemic. It is always Jesus.