Numbers 11:1a. And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord:
And then it was Tuesday! We’ve left a miserable Monday in its wake! Glory be! And thankfully too, there are no more piles of dead leaves littering my driveway…not for another year anyway. (smile) But yuh know how it is when we wish for something to stop happening, it does stop, but oftentimes something worse takes its place. As they say, we go from the frying pan into the fire. Well, I believe that’s what’s happening to me right now. Although there are no more dry leaves in my driveway to collect, we now have that beautiful white, but ever so deceptive and dangerous stuff called snow covering it.
However, there is a small silver lining to that situation, namely, I no longer shovel snow. Too old and broken down for that now. And sometimes I do miss it. I remember those days I would get out in the driveway, open my garage door and the trunk of my car, turn up the stereo and dance and sing while shovelling. People walking by would look at me and laugh, but that was okay. I was enjoying myself, although I was doing some hard physical labour.
And that’s the way we ought always to be my fellow believers; joyful when doing stuff that seems difficult, because we have the joy and strength of Christ our Lord and Saviour flowing through us and enabling us to do our tasks with a good attitude. Too many of us adopt a bad attitude when we face difficult situations, but that’s one of the purposes of having Christ in our lives, to give us a good attitude. That’s why, in collecting the leaves, even though I knew my back would hurt me from bending so often, I still tried to keep a smile on my face and a prayer in my heart, that the back pain would not be too bad and would soon go away.
So many of us complain about our jobs, our friends, our spouses, etc. etc. But you know how many other people would gladly take who and what we’re complaining about, because they don’t have any of it? We have life so relatively easy now, that we complain about anything that exerts us even a little. But friends please realize how dangerous Complaining is, and how much it displeases God. And these words from the website JollyNotes.com explain how complaining is the work of the devil and can lead to further sin.
‘Grumbling and complaining are sins that can lead to further disobedience, and give the enemy a hold in our lives (God forbid!). In the Bible, complaining is considered an act of unbelief toward God. We have to remember that complaining does not change situations, or even make anything better. Conversely, complaining increases our frustration. Complaining is also very contagious and if not checked, it will spread discord, discontentment and negativity to others.’
Unfortunately, complaining is not a new thing, it’s as old as mankind itself. The Israelites began complaining the moment they crossed the Red Sea, about lack of water and fresh meat and the hard journey. They even contemplated going back to their servitude in Egypt. Eventually the Lord got so fed up with their complaining about the manna they received from His merciful hands, that the Good Book tells us: ‘And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled (aroused); and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts (outskirts) of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched.’ (Num. 11:1-2)
But that did not stop them from complaining, for the rabble rousers stirred them up again to complain about fresh meat. Just like the rabble rousers of today are stirring things up leading to much anger, hatred and strife in our society. But I like how the Lord dealt with the Israelites about their plea for fresh meat. He told Moses: ‘And say unto the people, sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh (meat): for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord saying,
Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and you shall eat. Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days; But even a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you, because that ye have despised the Lord which is among you, and have wept before him, saying, Why came we forth out of Egypt?’ (Num. 11:18-20)
And as always, the Lord kept His promise. Later on, the Good Book details: ‘And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.’ (Num. 11:31) Brother! Our God doesn’t make joke nuh! When He says He’s going to provide a thing, He surely does. The Israelites had meat around them a day’s journey on either side of the camp, and two cubits high at that!
‘And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And while the flesh (meat) was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath (anger) of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote (struck) the people with a great plague.’ (Num. 11:32-33)
Oh my people, doesn’t that sound very much like what’s happening to us today? For ages we’ve been complaining about all kinds of stuff, turning away from God, being evil, disobedient and proud as ever. Then up crops the plague Covid! And it is a plague because it’s worldwide and doesn’t seem to be going away any time soon. In fact, it’s mutating and getting more dangerous as we bicker and complain and don’t want to get together and fight it as ONE! Just like the Israelites way back then, thousands have died from it.
Our greed, disobedience, and efforts to rid our society of God is no doubt fuelling His anger against us. And until we wake up and see that our only option is to turn back to God, many more will suffer, and many more will die. Oh friends, there’s much more to say on the subject, but we will end on that hopefully sobering note. Tomorrow, God spare life, we will continue with the subject of ‘Complaining, Murmuring, Griping, Whining, Grumbling, Beefing, Belly-Aching, Moaning’; call it whatever you like.
Now, for those of us who are sincerely trying to do the Lord’s work, let’s go home declaring (yeahhh!!!) our Tuesday Mantra, letting the whole world know to whom we joyfully belong…Christ Jesus! As one strong voice: ‘In God’s eyes, I’m not what I do. I’m not what I have. I’m not what people say about me. I am the beloved of God, that’s who I am. No one can take that from me. I don’t have to worry. I don’t have to hurry. I can trust my friend Jesus and share His LOVE with the world. Amen!’
And our bounden duty is to go out and do just that; share the amazing LOVE and friendship of Christ with others, so that they too can get to know and LOVE Him like we do. Much LOVE!
…it’s only logical…that if you try to negate the Creator of the earth and all therein…you will suffer dire consequences…
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