This morning I was thinking about the Israelite and how they lived in Egypt as slaves. They complained about the time the served and they wanted to be free from slavery. Then when they finally got their freedom, they complained about where God had them. They complained, the grumbled among themselves and to Moses. Exodus 16:7-8 "And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” 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.”" or in Numbers 14:27
"“How long shall this wicked congregation grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against me."
We can see that the Israelite's grumbled, it is easy to do. It is easy to say why me Lord or I don't want to do that. I can see it in my job, how many times do I grumble about the job I am at, because maybe there is something else there for me, but God gave me this job. Am I grumbling against Him, instead of being thankful for the very thing that God has given me?
The Bible talks about grumbling, not just in the Old Testament, but also the New Testament as well. Paul wrote about this in Philippians 2:14-16 "Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain." James said in James 5:9 "Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door."
If I am not to grumble, but to give thanks for everything as it says in Psalm 95:2-3 "Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods." or in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
I am reminded about the more I focus on a bad thing, the worse that thing gets. When I grumble about something, that grows and the grumbling grows too. Have you noticed that? A problem will start out small, the more that problem is focused on, it grows, it seems like a mountain. Now God calls us to change our perspective, He says in all that is ALL circumstances to give Him thanks. When I change my heart from grumbling and complaining to thanksgiving, I change my perspective from the bad to actually giving God praise for it. My heart changes, because I change. Doing this takes work, it takes making a choice to actually want to walk in freedom from the grumbling, grumbling will destroy me, but making a choice and giving thanksgiving, God will honor.
Isn't it time to stop grumbling and start to say Lord I think you for ______________, I thank you for ____________, I thank you for _______________, I thank you for that bad driver, thank you for reminding me to bless them and not curse them. Thank you for the traffic, because it gives me more time to thank you. Thank you for the rain, for it brings life, thank you for _________, change our conversation with God, see what it will do for your life. No longer focusing on the negative, but giving thanks for it all. God I thank you for blood clots, for they have shown me how important it is to live each day as if I don't know about tomorrow, all I have is today. Thank you for hard places, for they make me learn more about Your grace. Change how we come before God and see what God will do.
I challenge you today, change from grumbling (if you are), to thanking Him for anything that you are grumbling about. God wants us to change, are you willing?
