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Numbers 11:1a NKJV “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused….”
God sent Moses to Egypt to lead the captives out of 400 years of enslavement into freedom.
Can you imagine their thankfulness and joy of freedom? You might think, if it were you, you would never complain again for the happiness before them.
However, their gratitude was short-lived.
Soon those people, like so many of us, found one thing after another to complain about.
Let us look back on the story thus far. Over and over, God proved that He was in control, all powerful and able to provide for His children. You recall, that when the army of Pharoah chased them, God parted the sea, led them through, and closed the sea upon the chariots of Pharoah’s army.
When there was complaining about food or water, God provided manna to be gathered each day, and water from a rock.
Miraculously, God provided..and yet, the people complained. They turned to false gods, threatened to stone Moses, and forgot all about the mercies and miracles wrought by the Almighty God on their behalf to this point in the journey.
The complaining displeased the Lord.
He heard it.
He heard them at it …again and again.
Finally, His anger was ignited.
We might be shaking our heads about now, wondering how it is possible for a people who were so watched over by God, and provided for so abundantly, so quickly turned away from Him.
We might be thinking that we would never be so ungrateful.
Let us all pause here and take a deep breathe.
Now, let us remember back a moment, or an hour, or maybe a day.
Before you or I go back too far in our recent history, I think that we will all find a complaint in there, that we had run through our minds.
Perhaps, you told it aloud to your spouse, or friend, or the neighbor over the fence. Perhaps, you complained about someone at your church, instead of being glad they were attending church at all.
Maybe, your complained about the stack of dirty dishes that you had to wash, instead of thanking God for the family who was there, healthy and well, eating that sufficient food and dirtying those dishes.
Did you thank Him for the good health you were given this day, or complain about the doctor bill of last month that arrived?
Were you grateful to be alive today, or complain that it was another day you had to work?
Did you complain about walking to your job today in the rain? Or, did you thank God for that job at all?
Did you see the flowers or the weeds while walking down the street?
Was your voice raised in praise or complaint?
Where are you right now?
Are you like the new believers praising God at Pentecost, or are you like the Israelites complaining in the wilderness?
Count the blessings that God pours upon us and concentrate on praising Him for them.
It is not too late, with God’s help, to change from ever-complaining to never-complaining.