"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.’ (Numbers 21:8)
Recently, I was speaking with someone, and by the time he was done pouring out his heart, even I felt overwhelmed. He was going through so much, and it broke my heart. I didn’t even know where to begin in counseling him. As I listened, searching my spirit for something to say, the story of the Israelites and the serpents dropped into my heart. In that moment, I immediately knew what God wanted this man to hear: All God needed him to do was focus on Him.
If he tried to face each of his problems one by one, leaning on his own strength, he’d almost certainly be overwhelmed before even getting through the first.
Sometimes, when life feels too much, the answer isn’t in trying to fix everything at once or fixing any issue at all. It’s in choosing to focus on Jesus.
‘No Issues Babe‘
At times, life hits us so hard that we’re certain the answer to our struggles must be enormous. We feel overwhelmed, thinking that in order to overcome, we must go to great lengths; fast for days or pray for hours. The more complicated our challenges appear, the more we believe the solution must match their weight.
But time and time again, God has shown us that His ways are not our ways. Isaiah 55:8: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says the Lord. What we think is a monumental problem, God may solve with simplicity and grace.
My husband’s attitude toward problems has a way of reinforcing this lesson in my heart. If you know him, you know that his default response to almost any issue is simply, “No issue, babe.” No matter how worried I might be, no matter how many sleepless nights I’ve spent over an issue or how many times I’ve racked my brain trying to find a solution, once I share it with him, the weight of that problem feels so much lighter. He has mastered the art of minimizing every single issue.
This response doesn’t mean he’s ignoring the problem, it means he’s refusing to let the issue become bigger than it needs to be. He’s learned to focus not on the problem, but on the solution and the grace that comes with it.
Trusting God in the Midst of Struggles
I’ll never forget the first time I read about the Israelites in the wilderness, plagued by serpents after they complained against God. God instructed Moses to make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, so that everyone who had been bitten and looked upon it would live. (Numbers 21:8)
At first, I couldn’t understand why God didn’t simply remove the serpents altogether. Why set up a bronze serpent for the people to look at? Why not just take away their pain and suffering? Why not make the serpents disappear in the same way they appeared? But as I meditated on God’s instruction to Moses for the healing of His people, I began to learn a powerful lesson about the importance of focusing on Him.
This moment wasn’t just a historical event; God was using it to prepare our hearts for how we would be saved in the years to come. Jesus Christ referred to it when He said, “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.” ( John 3:14-15).
Choosing Focus Over Fear
Like every other decision we make, focusing on Jesus is one we must deliberately make, no matter how overwhelming the situation may seem, if we are to make progress in our journey. If you are going to be healed, restored, saved, then you must choose to look to Him. Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”
Through that bronze serpent, God taught His people a lesson about faith and focus. Healing came not through the removal of the problem, but through the simple obedience of looking up. The Israelites had to trust that God’s instruction was enough. It wasn’t about removing the pain, it was about turning their focus to God’s provision.
Sometimes, the weight of our challenges can make us think that in order to find peace, God must first remove the very things that trouble us. But the truth is, God doesn’t need to take away our problems to restore us. What we need, more often than not, is simply to turn our eyes to Him.
In fact, He is so powerful that He can prepare a table before us in the presence of our enemies (Psalm 23:5). God doesn’t need to remove our adversaries to bless us, He can bless us in the midst of them. His presence is our peace, and His provision is our strength, even when the struggle remains. When we focus on Him, He makes everything else fade into proper perspective.
His Grace is Sufficient
As Paul learned, and as many of us do too, sometimes God’s response is not to remove the affliction but to assure us that His grace is sufficient. 2 Corinthians 12:9: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
The truth we must all come to terms with is that sometimes the issues God seems unwilling to remove from our lives are actually serving a greater purpose. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul opens our eyes to a deeper reality. His “thorn in the flesh,” the very thing he begged God to remove, was not taken away because it served as a divine safeguard in his life.
it was a divine countermeasure to prevent him from becoming prideful. Despite the abundance of revelations Paul received, the thorn kept him grounded. It wasn’t punishment; it was protection.
Paul said: “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” (2 Corinthians 12:7).
Sometimes, what we see as a problem is God’s way of refining us, keeping us humble, and ensuring that our focus remains on Him. The ultimate act of faith is trusting that in our weakness, He is made strong. In our challenges, He provides the grace to endure. And by focusing on Him, He changes our perspective.
When Life’s Serpents Sting: Focus on Jesus
It’s inevitable: we become what we focus on. Whatever we magnify in our minds becomes larger, just like how a magnifying glass brings an object into sharper, more intense focus. Similarly, when we focus on our struggles or the things that trouble us, they become bigger in our minds. But when we turn our gaze to Jesus, He becomes the magnified one. And in His presence, our problems are diminished, not in size but in their power over us.
When the serpent of the death of a loved one stings, focus.
When the serpent of the loss of a job stings, focus.
When the serpent of a lost admission stings, focus.
When the serpent of a relationship we invested in for years stings, focus.
When the serpent that causes us to be despised and ridiculed stings, focus.
When the serpent of many miscarriages stings, focus.
Each of these serpents can feel like a venomous blow to the heart, but the answer remains the same: focus on Jesus. Fix your gaze on Him.
Jesus is always enough, regardless of the struggles we face. Keep your eyes on Him
If you’re wondering how to keep your focus on Him, it can be summed up in this: worship Him when you feel like it, but especially when you don’t. Pray when you feel like it, but especially when it feels like all hell has broken loose on you. Study the Word of God, it’s His written letters of love, faithfulness, promises, peace, and strength: even if it means burning the midnight candle.
Let His words become the loudest voice in your heart. Let your thoughts of Him and His promises begin to influence you unconsciously, shaping your mindset, until it’s His truth that automatically guides your every response. This is how you remain focused on Him; by intentionally choosing Him, His presence, and His Word, especially when it’s the hardest.
