HOW TO HANDLE DISCOURAGEMENTS AND DISTRESSES
6 SO THE LORD SENT FIERY SERPENTS AMONG THE PEOPLE, AND THEY BIT THE PEOPLE; AND MANY OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL DIED.
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”
9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived."
Numbers 21:6-9 (NKJV)
If you did not know how to manage your predicament; distresses and discouragements, you may end up provoking God's anger or wrath.
God did permit fiery serpents among the Israelites to bite them for their rebellion, accusing God wrongly.
The way God reasons or sees things is completely different from that of humans: (Isaiah 55:8 NKJV).
Whilst as a human being, you are mainly concerned about your discomforts or pains, God might not be after that at all. His intention and goal might be about the transformation of your character, how you would grow in your relationship and communion with Him.
Whilst you are talking about discomfort or pain, God is talking about being wise up, and being able to handle the affairs of life maturely—according or in line with the Word of God, the Bible.
Thus, If you heeded not what He says or He is saying, there might not be any change in your condition which you are eagerly or anxiously yearning for.
What happened to the Israelites when they spoke against God and fiery serpents were sent to bite them. When any calamity struck, God should be seen as noncausal, but permitter, because He does not do evil.
Most of the passages in the old testament that were referred or attributed to God as the casual of the negative things that happened, where punishments or evils befell on the Israelites or some other people, such should have been accurately rendered that God is the permittee or permitter or noncausal of them.
There are things you would do as a believer that the consequences would automatically come on you and It might be tragic or calamitous. They are laws or principles that If you violated them, the consequences would always be there, and they could be grievous and regrettable. Some negative things being attributed to God as the doer are the consequences of going or standing against the set principles or laws of God. Such things are said to be done or caused by God, but they are simply the consequences of violating God's principles.
So, the Israelites did wrong and they reaped the consequences of the principles of God which they violated.
You should not speak against the Lord your God, rather, you should honour Him, love Him and serve Him with all your heart. You should also not despise the leader of your people: “YOU SHALL NOT REVILE [vituperate or despise or verbally abuse] GOD, NOR CURSE A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE" (Exodus 22:28 NKJV).
READ: Acts 23:5
With these principles or laws in place, If any of such principles is violated, the negative consequences of the violation would follow. The bitten of the fiery serpents was the consequences of the Israelites violation of God's principles; speaking against God and Moses His servant (Exodus 22:28).
When you are discouraged or distressed, do not be blindfolded by whatever you are passing through and be speaking against God as If He is the cause of the predicament you find yourself in. Know that God is always right, and the best approach to the predicament is that you supplicate and plead to know the reason(s) for the predicament—It is not the time to be apportioning blames to God. It is only God Who can help and deliver you from whatever the predicament is, but, If you fought Him, How would you then be rescued or delivered from the predicament?
Note these points:
a. You would have to learn how to supplicate in your walk with God, through supplications, a lot things are settled with God (Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 4:6).
b. When you are trying to prove to be right before God, It amounts to pride in His sight. Someone who had one time queried God could not answer Him when He, God, surfaced to answer him (Job 38:1-3; 40:1,2,6-9).
c. Know that God is always right, no one argues with Him and wins. Besides, we humans are the sheep of His pasture, and He made us, we do not make ourselves: "KNOW THAT THE LORD, HE IS GOD; IT IS HE WHO HAS MADE US, AND NOT WE OURSELVES; WE ARE HIS PEOPLE AND THE SHEEP OF HIS PASTURE" (Psalm 100:3 NKJV).
20 BUT INDEED, O MAN, WHO ARE YOU TO REPLY AGAINST GOD? WILL THE THING FORMED SAY TO HIM WHO FORMED IT, “WHY HAVE YOU MADE ME LIKE THIS?”
21 DOES NOT THE POTTER HAVE POWER OVER THE CLAY, FROM THE SAME LUMP TO MAKE ONE VESSEL FOR HONOUR AND ANOTHER FOR DISHONOUR?"
Romans 9:20,21 (NKJV)
READ: Psalm 95:7
Thus, do not strive with God. Do not apportion blames to God on the matters of your life. He is not your enemy, but rather, your Helper. You should not see God as the One undoing you or the one behind your predicaments or distresses. Instead of being angry with God, plead and supplicate with Him, beg Him to have mercy on you. When the Israelites realized their mistake, they went to Moses and ask him to plead on their behalf: "THEREFORE THE PEOPLE CAME TO MOSES, AND SAID, “WE HAVE SINNED, FOR WE HAVE SPOKEN AGAINST THE LORD AND AGAINST YOU; PRAY TO THE LORD THAT HE TAKE AWAY THE SERPENTS FROM US.” SO MOSES PRAYED FOR THE PEOPLE" (Numbers 21:7 NKJV).
You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace.