Complaining: March 28, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR WEDNESDAY MARCH 28, 2012.

COMPLAINING

DEFINITION:

Express pain; resentment; find fault.

SCRIPTURE:

Do all things without murmurings (complaining) and disputing so that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. Philippians 2:14-15.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

We have discussed before in these devotionals the blessings and the failures of the Children of Israel on their march to the Promised Land. Not all went well during their 40 year trek. Many scholars estimate that there were well over two million people walking together through the wilderness. During those 40 years roughly 1.2 million people died. That is an average of 82 deaths a day.

The journey in the wilderness was a long march of grief and loss. Every day there seemed to be complaining and resentment because of the hardship of the journey and the uncertainty in their minds if they would ever reach the Promised Land.

In Numbers chapters 11 through 21 we read that something goes tragically wrong. It was a time of rebellion and willful disobedience against God. The rebellion started according to the scriptures with murmuring and complaining. Whenever you find yourself beginning to complain against your circumstances, consider this: You are on the threshold of rebellion. This is because rebellion always begins with complaining.

In this account the people began by complaining against their circumstances. God had given them manna and quail meat to eat and water to drink. But they complained because they did not like the taste of the meat and there was not enough water. The people got tired of the manna. God never intended for them to be this long in the wilderness. He intended them to move on into the land of Canaan but they continually rebelled against God.

They did not like God’s way so they stood in God’s way and prevented Him from doing His will in their lives. It wasn’t God’s will for them to wander 40 years in a barren wilderness. The wandering was a consequence of their actions.

Whose fault was it that they rebelled? It was not God’s fault because it was His plan for the people to possess a land of abundance and fulfillment. The people chose to turn their backs on God and so they continued to wander in a dry wilderness with nothing but manna to eat.

The people complained not only about their circumstances but also against the blessing of God, His provisions for them. Then they complained about their leadership. They judged themselves by their own standards and rebelled against the properly, God ordained, constituted authorities in their midst.

These are characteristics of defeated Christians today. They begin by complaining because their standards are different then God’s. Then complaining turns into rebellion against God. Take a good look at all times when you begin to complain. Are you complaining because of your standards? Most likely you are. Let go of your complaint and pray asking God to do His will in your life in His way and in His perfect timing. Complainers cannot be what God wants His children to be. We are to be blameless and without fault so that we shine as bright lights in a crooked and sinful world.

LEARNING:

This week we are memorizing the third Commandment found in Exodus 20:7.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

PRAYER:

Help each member of our family to learn the consequences of complaining. May we learn not to complain, especially about the small things in life, but may we give our concerns to the Lord and ask Him to change our complaining to rejoicing. Help us to shine as bright lights in this sinful world.