Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ. It is my prayers that you continue to experience God’s peace in these unsettled times. I read Numbers the eleventh chapter this morning. It began with the words, “Now the people complained.”
Complaining can seem like a favorite pastime for many of us. We complain about the weather and what we have to wear. We complain about food and find nothing to do. We complain about traffic and technology.
Complaining was second nature for Israel during the wilderness years. In numbers 11, Israel was only three days into their wilderness journey when they started to complain. They complained about their hardships and the wilderness food. They wanted something different from the manna they had to eat, day in and day out. The food they had eaten in Egypt seemed so much better.
Life, like the wilderness, can be hard, but when we complain, we fall into the devil’s trap. When we complain, we tend to glamorize what we don’t have. Did they really have it better in Egypt? Somehow the people completely forgot the hardships they had endured there as slaves. When we complain, we tend to see life in a distorted way. Grumbling flows from people who think they deserve something better.
Paul calls us to do everything without grumbling. Is this possible? Yes, when we learn to concentrate on God’s grace in Christ. Yes, when we learn to thank God in our hearts and through our utterances. How can we complain so often when we know we are loved by God? His grace can move us from grumbling to gratitude.
May God bless you as you start your week. Please stay positive and entertain positive thoughts and conversations. Please stay safe.
Memory verse: Philippians 2:14