Murmur: June 30, 2014

TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY JUNE 30, 2014.

MURMUR

DEFINITION:

A low indistinct sound; a mumbled expression of discontent; a muttered complaint.

SCRIPTURE:

And all of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt or would God if we died in this wilderness.” Numbers 14: 2.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Murmuring or muttering complaints is the outward expression of inner obstinacy and rebellion. It most likely is something every one of us has been guilty of some time in our life.

In the verse above we read about the Children of Israel murmuring against their leaders. They had become fearful of going into the Promised Land to conquer it as the Lord wanted them to do.

Twelve spies had been sent to spy out the land. Ten of the spies had aroused fear in the people by reporting that the Canaanites were too powerful to be conquered. Joshua and Caleb were the only two of the twelve spies who remained strong in their faith and took a stand against the other spies.

In spite of experiencing God’s power and might in delivering them from their hard life of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites faith in God was weak. The journey from Egypt to Canaan was not an easy one. The Israelites began to not only murmur but to loudly complain. It was Joshua that God used to speak out against the murmuring. He told the congregation of Israelites that the land was good and “If the Lord is pleased with us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey.”

Joshua begged them to trust the Lord, but the congregation continued to murmur and complain and even threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb. Moses cried out to God for deliverance for his people. God was ready to wipe them out but because of Moses’ prayer of intersession for them, God forgave the Children of Israel for their murmuring and complaining.

Nevertheless, they still paid a price for their sinful complaining. God told them that they would wander in the desert for 40 years and no one but Joshua and Caleb and those under 20 years old would enter the Promised Land. Disobeying God always has consequences. The Israelites disobedience made life harder for them.

We can remember as children when our parents gave us something to do and we really did not want to do it that as we walked away we would murmur under our breath. This did not go over with our parents and usually got us into deep trouble. Years later the roles were reversed. We were the parents and our children would walk away from us after we gave them a responsibility to do murmuring under their breath. They soon learned, as we did, that murmuring and complaining got us nowhere, in fact, it brought consequences that just made them more unhappy.

There are murmurers and complainers among Christians today just like as there were among the Children of Israel.  They complain about everything and then always blame God for what went wrong. God is not the problem. We who complain are the problem. We only want to do what we want to do and do it in our own way. We disobey God, just like the Children of Israel did, and then when we fail or get ourselves in trouble we ask God --- WHY?

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Romans 12: 2.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

PRAYER:

Enable me to be obedient to You and do what You want me to do without murmuring and complaining. Forgive me for the times that I have been obstinate and rebellious against You. Give me a right attitude and keep me cheerful in all that I do.