February 27
Today’s Reading
Numbers 21–23
Mark 6–7
Scripture Focus
“The Lord heard the Israelites’ request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their towns, and the place has been called Hormah ever since.”
Numbers 21:3 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/num.21.3.NLT
“and they began to speak against God and Moses. ‘Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?’ they complained. ‘There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!’”
Numbers 21:5 NLT
“Then the Lord told him, ‘Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!’”
Numbers 21:8 NLT
⸻
Reflection
My sweet sister,
Numbers 21–23 is full. So many layers. So many heart mirrors.
First, Israel was attacked. Some were taken prisoner. And what did they do?
They cried out to the Lord.
And He heard them.
And He gave them victory.
That caught my attention too.
When they were attacked, they prayed.
When they were hungry, they complained.
Why?
In battle, they felt their weakness.
In discomfort, they felt entitled.
When they were desperate, they depended.
When they were inconvenienced, they murmured.
And murmuring brought more death. Complaining invited more pain. The fiery serpents came when their words turned against God.
But then… mercy.
God told Moses to lift up a bronze serpent on a pole. Whoever looked at it lived.
Jesus later explained this Himself:
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up…” (John 3:14)
The people were bitten. Poisoned. Dying.
They could not heal themselves.
They could not reason the poison out.
They could only look up.
And I find myself asking — how many chose to look?
Some were too proud.
Some were too bitter.
Some may have said, “That makes no sense.”
But those who looked… lived.
Sister, when sin bites, when pain burns, when consequences sting — the answer is still the same: look up.
⸻
Then comes that beautiful moment:
“Spring up, O well…”
Earlier they complained about water.
Now they sing over it.
They didn’t strike a rock this time.
They sang.
To me, singing represents trust. Joy. Anticipation.
Sing, don’t complain.
Worship, don’t murmur.
Complaining dries the soul.
Praise releases refreshing.
And through it all, I see Moses — listening. Moving when God says move. Speaking when God says speak. Lifting what God says lift. He wasn’t perfect, but he stayed positioned to hear.
That matters.
⸻
Who Is Balaam?
Balaam appears in Numbers 22–23.
He was not an Israelite. He was a diviner from Mesopotamia — a man known for spiritual influence. People believed his blessings and curses carried power.
Balak, king of Moab, was afraid of Israel. So he hired Balaam to curse them.
Balak believed this:
“Blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”
But here’s the truth:
No prophet controls blessing or curse. God does.
Balaam’s story is complicated.
He speaks with God.
He says he will only speak what God says.
And in these chapters, he actually blesses Israel instead of cursing them.
But his heart is not fully surrendered.
Later Scripture reveals he loved the wages of unrighteousness (2 Peter 2:15). He wanted the reward. He walked close to God’s voice — but his motives were mixed.
That is sobering.
It is possible to say the right words and still have a divided heart.
It is possible to speak truth and still love reward.
God can use someone — and still not approve of their motives.
And here is the powerful lesson:
Even when a king tried to curse God’s people, every time Balaam opened his mouth, blessing came out.
Because when God decides to bless, no man can reverse it.
In chapter 23 we see something beautiful — no outside force could take Israel down. They were under covenant protection because God Himself was their King. As long as the Lord was with them, no spoken curse had authority over them.
The real danger was never what stood outside of them.
It was what stirred inside their own hearts.
⸻
Lesson for Me
• When I am attacked, cry out — don’t panic.
• When I am uncomfortable, guard my words. Complaining invites poison.
• When I am bitten by doubt, look up quickly. Healing comes through obedient faith.
• Choose to sing instead of murmur. Worship invites refreshing.
• Stay positioned like Moses — listening and moving only at God’s direction.
• Remember that no outside force can override God’s blessing over my life when He is truly my King.
• But also guard my heart — because unbelief within is more dangerous than opposition without.
Now It’s Time to Examine My Heart
Ask yourself…
• When I feel attacked or overwhelmed, is my first response prayer — or panic?
• When I am uncomfortable, tired, or inconvenienced, do my words reflect trust or entitlement?
• Have I allowed subtle complaining to grow into poisonous unbelief?
• Where in my life do I need to “look up” instead of trying to fix, reason, or control the situation myself?
• Are my words releasing praise — or drying out my own soul?
• Is God truly my King in this area of my life, or am I still trying to rule it myself?
• Am I more concerned about outside opposition, or am I guarding my heart against internal doubt?
• Would my response today invite refreshing — or fiery serpents?
Prayer
Lord,
Search my heart.
Forgive me for the times I have complained instead of cried out. Forgive me for rehearsing discomfort instead of remembering Your faithfulness. I do not want poisonous unbelief to grow quietly inside of me.
When I am bitten by doubt, teach me to look up quickly. When I am weary, teach me to worship. When I feel attacked, remind me that You are my King and no outside force has authority over what You have blessed.
Guard my words. Guard my heart. Align my spirit with truth.
Help me to sing before I see provision. Help me to trust before I understand. Help me to bring You glory in my response.
You are my King. I choose to look up.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Today’s Reading
Numbers 21–23
Mark 6–7
Scripture Focus
“The Lord heard the Israelites’ request and gave them victory over the Canaanites. The Israelites completely destroyed them and their towns, and the place has been called Hormah ever since.”
Numbers 21:3 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/num.21.3.NLT
“and they began to speak against God and Moses. ‘Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?’ they complained. ‘There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!’”
Numbers 21:5 NLT
“Then the Lord told him, ‘Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!’”
Numbers 21:8 NLT
⸻
Reflection
My sweet sister,
Numbers 21–23 is full. So many layers. So many heart mirrors.
First, Israel was attacked. Some were taken prisoner. And what did they do?
They cried out to the Lord.
And He heard them.
And He gave them victory.
That caught my attention too.
When they were attacked, they prayed.
When they were hungry, they complained.
Why?
In battle, they felt their weakness.
In discomfort, they felt entitled.
When they were desperate, they depended.
When they were inconvenienced, they murmured.
And murmuring brought more death. Complaining invited more pain. The fiery serpents came when their words turned against God.
But then… mercy.
God told Moses to lift up a bronze serpent on a pole. Whoever looked at it lived.
Jesus later explained this Himself:
“Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up…” (John 3:14)
The people were bitten. Poisoned. Dying.
They could not heal themselves.
They could not reason the poison out.
They could only look up.
And I find myself asking — how many chose to look?
Some were too proud.
Some were too bitter.
Some may have said, “That makes no sense.”
But those who looked… lived.
Sister, when sin bites, when pain burns, when consequences sting — the answer is still the same: look up.
⸻
Then comes that beautiful moment:
“Spring up, O well…”
Earlier they complained about water.
Now they sing over it.
They didn’t strike a rock this time.
They sang.
To me, singing represents trust. Joy. Anticipation.
Sing, don’t complain.
Worship, don’t murmur.
Complaining dries the soul.
Praise releases refreshing.
And through it all, I see Moses — listening. Moving when God says move. Speaking when God says speak. Lifting what God says lift. He wasn’t perfect, but he stayed positioned to hear.
That matters.
⸻
Who Is Balaam?
Balaam appears in Numbers 22–23.
He was not an Israelite. He was a diviner from Mesopotamia — a man known for spiritual influence. People believed his blessings and curses carried power.
Balak, king of Moab, was afraid of Israel. So he hired Balaam to curse them.
Balak believed this:
“Blessings fall on any people you bless, and curses fall on people you curse.”
But here’s the truth:
No prophet controls blessing or curse. God does.
Balaam’s story is complicated.
He speaks with God.
He says he will only speak what God says.
And in these chapters, he actually blesses Israel instead of cursing them.
But his heart is not fully surrendered.
Later Scripture reveals he loved the wages of unrighteousness (2 Peter 2:15). He wanted the reward. He walked close to God’s voice — but his motives were mixed.
That is sobering.
It is possible to say the right words and still have a divided heart.
It is possible to speak truth and still love reward.
God can use someone — and still not approve of their motives.
And here is the powerful lesson:
Even when a king tried to curse God’s people, every time Balaam opened his mouth, blessing came out.
Because when God decides to bless, no man can reverse it.
In chapter 23 we see something beautiful — no outside force could take Israel down. They were under covenant protection because God Himself was their King. As long as the Lord was with them, no spoken curse had authority over them.
The real danger was never what stood outside of them.
It was what stirred inside their own hearts.
⸻
Lesson for Me
• When I am attacked, cry out — don’t panic.
• When I am uncomfortable, guard my words. Complaining invites poison.
• When I am bitten by doubt, look up quickly. Healing comes through obedient faith.
• Choose to sing instead of murmur. Worship invites refreshing.
• Stay positioned like Moses — listening and moving only at God’s direction.
• Remember that no outside force can override God’s blessing over my life when He is truly my King.
• But also guard my heart — because unbelief within is more dangerous than opposition without.
Now It’s Time to Examine My Heart
Ask yourself…
• When I feel attacked or overwhelmed, is my first response prayer — or panic?
• When I am uncomfortable, tired, or inconvenienced, do my words reflect trust or entitlement?
• Have I allowed subtle complaining to grow into poisonous unbelief?
• Where in my life do I need to “look up” instead of trying to fix, reason, or control the situation myself?
• Are my words releasing praise — or drying out my own soul?
• Is God truly my King in this area of my life, or am I still trying to rule it myself?
• Am I more concerned about outside opposition, or am I guarding my heart against internal doubt?
• Would my response today invite refreshing — or fiery serpents?
Prayer
Lord,
Search my heart.
Forgive me for the times I have complained instead of cried out. Forgive me for rehearsing discomfort instead of remembering Your faithfulness. I do not want poisonous unbelief to grow quietly inside of me.
When I am bitten by doubt, teach me to look up quickly. When I am weary, teach me to worship. When I feel attacked, remind me that You are my King and no outside force has authority over what You have blessed.
Guard my words. Guard my heart. Align my spirit with truth.
Help me to sing before I see provision. Help me to trust before I understand. Help me to bring You glory in my response.
You are my King. I choose to look up.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Type your new text here.
Type your new text here.