So while looking up other things, I was reading in Alma 30 today, and reading where Korihor was arguing against the existence of God, Christ, the church, etc. I was beginning to see that his arguments are an encyclopedia of the ways Satan uses to abuse our hearts and minds. There is an array of tactics in there that should be studied more carefully, but that's for another day.
What jumped out at me is a twist of the phrase "Look to God and live". It's an evil way to twist such a beautiful phrase, but that's probably why he used it. Alma 30:27 "...that they durst not look up with boldness..."
When the serpent was raised in the desert, Moses people were made aware that if they would look to this serpent (who represented Christ), they would live. Many would not, and they died. I'm not going to get into what it means to look in this blog - that's also a discussion for another day. I'm also not going to get into what it may mean to live. Today, I'm taking up the "with boldness" addition that Korihor added. When looking to God, especially if you've been bitten by a real snake, boldness is not an attitude you'd take. It would be a lot more humble. It would be on the order of "My God, please save me". Boldness would be more along the lines of "OK I glanced. Now do your thing like I expect you to do - and don't get it wrong."
That kind of "boldness" will net us nothing. It's not what "looking" means. Whether the problem is a snake that bit us in a desert, or a spiritual snake that bites our soul, the only solution is to look to God. The bites happen to all of us - good and bad. Whether we survive it - be that in a physical or spiritual way - depends on where we're looking. May we look to Christ. Not glance, not turn our heads occasionally, but fix our gaze. Make him our true north. Orient our eyes and lives toward him.
Then we live. And the kind of living that Christ refers to? Yeah- that's awesome.
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So here is the outline for my talk this sunday, just fyi
Look to God and Live Alma 37:46-47
What does it mean to
·
Look to God? (In what way are we healed)
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To live?
The fiery serpent thing (Numbers 21:6) Flying 1 Nephi 17:41)
·
Moses and the fiery serpents: the followers
began to complain about Moses.
- How did the Lord handle it? (Made things more uncomfortable with fiery flying serpents 1 Nephi 17:41)
- · Numbers 21:8 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 (everyone gets bit, we choose whether we survive it)
- “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14–15).
Carlos Asay “I knew of a man who never looked up”
- · Physically, he was a wreck (emotionally, spiritually)
- · Emotionally and spiritually shackled
- · Assisted, “he fixed his eyes upon a living prophet”
- Results
- · “You’ll never know how wonderful it is to recognize people by the smiles on their faces rather than the dust on their shoes.”
- · “You’ll never know how wonderful it is to gaze upward at a blue sky rather than downward at darkened ground.”
- · “You’ll never know how wonderful it is to return home from work and have your children run toward you with love, rather than away from you with fear.”
Stories
- · Nathan’s story (exercising faith when guided)
- · Julie’s story (acknowledge God’s strength and relying on it)
- · If you died, how sad would you want your spouse to be? (Place our burdens on him)
- · Our group – what does it mean to look to God and live? (Our lives are improved as we serve)
What does it mean to look to God and live
What it’s not
- · Blaming God for our failure
- · Looking occasionally as needed, or glancing
- · Looking the wrong direction (King David)
What it is
·
Exercise faith as guided
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Rely on the Lord completely
·
Place our burdens on him so we can live
·
Live in abundant service
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