Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:2-3 NKJV
Do you ever read through the book of Exodus and shake your head when you read about the ungrateful complaining Israelites. They had seen the miracles of God. They were under His hand of protection, but all they did was whine.
I recently realized I’m just as guilty as those long-ago Israelites. For over six weeks, I have lived with more pain than I’ve ever known, and the end is not in sight.
During the night or early morning, I barely make it out of bed. My back and hips have grown stiff overnight, making this the most painful part of the day. The only solution was to walk and loosen up. Walk, when I can barely crawl.
I cried out to the Lord, asking for His help and healing. Then I cried, “I can’t do this!” “I can’t handle this!” The complaining begins.
One day, the Lord spoke to me about how I complained against him. That’s when I realized I sounded like the children of Israel as they left Egypt and traveled through the wilderness.
Instead of protesting, we should be praising.
I have tried to make the switch. I certainly don’t want to add more time to my wilderness journey because of my rebellion.
I thank God for my future healing. I thank Him for the ability to use my computer and write. The days seem better when I don’t murmur and complain.
Are you in the wilderness right now? Do your words sound more like protest or praise? We’ll never get far by complaining, so let’s turn our groaning to gratitude. Let’s praise the Lord through our pain.
Heavenly Father, forgive me for the sin of murmuring and complaining. I truly am grateful for the many blessings in my life. I don’t understand why You allowed this season of pain, but I can rest in Your sovereignty because You control it all. Cleanse me from an ungrateful heart, and I will praise You forever. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
*** November 9 marks the release date of my new book on Kindle, and I have a special intro price on Kindle – $0.99! I’d really appreciate it if you can purchase it and write a review. That will help Amazon show it to more people who need the message of Faith That Walks On Water: Conquering Emotional Bondage With the Armor of God.
Originally posted on November 7, 2022 @ 1:10 am