I am so thankful to be studying the Life of Moses with Bible Study Fellowship this year. Now that I’ve reached the glorious second trimester, I hope to do more writing about what I’ve learned. I had been determined not to complain about not feeling well or being tired during this pregnancy, and I have to admit, I’ve done a terrible job.
I felt especially convicted about this and all the other complaining I do when reading about the grumbling the Israelites did after being brought out of slavery in Egypt. God had just rescued them from horrible oppression and slavery. He had done mighty works and miracles on their behalf, such as parting an entire sea so they could escape on dry land. Then they find themselves in the wilderness, their food begins to run out, and they start to grumble. In the chapters of Exodus that follow the crossing of the Red Sea, the Israelites complain to Moses over and over again.
In Exodus 16:8, Moses answers their grumbling: And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”
Ouch. All my grumbling isn’t against the weather, my kids, my hubby’s job, my circumstances, money, etc., but against the God who made me and redeemed me?? Of course! For God has given me each and every circumstance: each evening my husband is delayed at work to teach me reliance on Him, each tantrum of my 2-year-old sent to teach me patience, restrictions on my spending to teach me contentment, cold weather . . . well, I haven’t figured out what that is about, but God is most definitely in control of the weather!
I know contentment is important to God, but this verse shed new light on all the “small” complaining I do each day. It showed me how much I am like the Israelites–God has done amazing things for me, and I still grumble against Him. He has given me a beautiful home, and I grumble about cleaning it. He has given my husband a secure, profitable job, and I grumble that he’s not home at 5:00 each day. He has given me two beautiful, sweet, healthy kids, and I grumble that they just won’t give me a minute to myself. My grumbling is a sin against God, and I’m thankful for this verse pointing that out in a fresh way.
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Glad you’re back to blogging, my friend.
Again, amazing lessons. I often read about the Israelites grumbles and think to myself how ungrateful they were…..well look in my own house first……… Thankyou.