Stop Grumbling: God Has Done A Lot For You
The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai . . . In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."
. . . So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. "You will know that it was the LORD when He gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD." Exodus 16:1-8.
. . . So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. "You will know that it was the LORD when He gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD." Exodus 16:1-8.
The hardness of the human heart is impossible to fathom. Our hearts can be so hardened by ingratitude that our relationship with God can be polluted. Instead of filling the heart of God with joy, we pump sadness into His heart by grumbling and ignoring all the good things He has blessed us with. We do it to God and we do it to those God uses sacrificially to bless our lives. The Israelites did that to God and they did it to Moses and Aaron.
I can almost see the astonishment on the face of Moses as he cried out in protest against the grumbling Israelites, ". . . He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us but against the LORD."
Can you imagine the scene of over 600,000 men, not counting the women and children, protesting against Moses because they would rather die than miss the pots of meat and food they sat around in Egypt? They were willing to trade their freedom in the Promised Land for the whips, lashes, and bondage of slavery in Egypt all because of food! And why was this the case? I believe one answer is that they were visionless and short-sighted.
Whenever we lose the vision of who God is and what He is working out for our ultimate good, we are reduced to complainers and grumblers. Whenever we become short-sighted and focus on meat and pots of food, we grumble and complain. Whenever we forget all the mighty things God has done for us, we find ourselves grumbling against Him and those He uses to bless our lives. We will not get to our Promised Land if we are unwilling to sacrifice some comforts!
Here are some thoughts: First, be grateful for all that God has already done for you. Second, thank God that the plans He has for you are for your good and not for your evil; plans to give you hope and a future. Third, be willing to sacrifice some comforts; they are temporal. Finally, appreciate the sacrifice of people God uses to bless your life. If you learn to bless the LORD at all times and have a grateful spirit, grumbling and ingratitude will not be a part of you.
I can almost see the astonishment on the face of Moses as he cried out in protest against the grumbling Israelites, ". . . He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us but against the LORD."
Can you imagine the scene of over 600,000 men, not counting the women and children, protesting against Moses because they would rather die than miss the pots of meat and food they sat around in Egypt? They were willing to trade their freedom in the Promised Land for the whips, lashes, and bondage of slavery in Egypt all because of food! And why was this the case? I believe one answer is that they were visionless and short-sighted.
Whenever we lose the vision of who God is and what He is working out for our ultimate good, we are reduced to complainers and grumblers. Whenever we become short-sighted and focus on meat and pots of food, we grumble and complain. Whenever we forget all the mighty things God has done for us, we find ourselves grumbling against Him and those He uses to bless our lives. We will not get to our Promised Land if we are unwilling to sacrifice some comforts!
Here are some thoughts: First, be grateful for all that God has already done for you. Second, thank God that the plans He has for you are for your good and not for your evil; plans to give you hope and a future. Third, be willing to sacrifice some comforts; they are temporal. Finally, appreciate the sacrifice of people God uses to bless your life. If you learn to bless the LORD at all times and have a grateful spirit, grumbling and ingratitude will not be a part of you.
Prayer: LORD, please help me to bless you at all times and to remain grateful and refrain from grumbling. Amen.