ODB: God incidents
February 9, 2010 READ: Hebrews 11:1-10 In everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. —Philippians 4:6 In the normal course of providence, God works in and through creation, not despite it. For this reason, some answers to prayer are difficult to prove with certainty.“Only faith vouches for [...]
ODJ: no grumbling allowed
“If only we had died in Egypt, or even here in the wilderness!” they complained (v.2).
READ: Numbers 14:1-23
I laughed yesterday as I read Facebook comments written by a close friend and his wife. She updated her profile to read, “I am grumpy for no good reason.” Beneath it, alluding to Facebook’s “like” button, my friend wrote: “They need an ‘unlike button’ for these types of things. Although the above exchange is humorous, Israel’s grumpy behavior in Numbers 14 was not funny in the eyes of God. As they whined and complained out of fear over false reports (Numbers 13:31-33), the Lord’s anger meter was rising. As the people were weeping, crying, and protesting, He was fuming (14:2,10-11; Deuteronomy 9:7).
God was angry for at least two reasons:
• Lack of faith in Him. The Israelites showed no faith in their God who had miraculously led them out of bondage in Egypt. They showed no trust by grumbling greatly (James 5:9). It got so bad that God was ready to annihilate them (Numbers 14:12).
• Lack of liking His provision. God’s plans and provision should be received with joy and humility. The people, just like us at times, were rebellious and full of resentment instead of contentment (Numbers 11:6,21:5).
Fortunately, a fab four—Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb—revealed true trust in God and acceptance of where He was leading. These men showed the people, and us, what to do when we’ve caught a case of the grumpies: They bowed before God in repentance—seeking forgiveness (Numbers 14:5-6). They acknowledged His great love and His forgiving heart (Exodus 34:6-7; Numbers 14:18-19).
When we grumble and complain, we’re rebelling against God and choosing selfishness over His abundant provision. Let’s repent and follow Him with grateful hearts instead. —Tom Felten
What have you been grumbling about lately? How would God have you change your tune?
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