Verse
of the day: Exodus 16:2 Then the
whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron
in the wilderness.
Not
long after God won a great victory against Pharaoh and his army, on behalf of
His people, we see the Israelites murmuring against Moses, Aaron, and God Himself.
Three days after He delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians, the
people began to complain because they could not find water, and the waters of
Marah were bitter (Exodus 15:23). God miraculously provided them with sweet
water to drink (Exodus 15:22-25); yet, here they are, once again, murmuring.
Are we one of those “woe is me” Christians who continually complain even though
God is continually blessing us? The Israelites are now recalling the food they
had in Egypt, but forgot the bitter cruelty they suffered as slaves. We must be
careful that we not long for those days when we may have had the things of this
world, but were lost and without Christ. We must guard our thoughts, hearts,
and appetites, so that we are not tempted to return to what God has already
saved us from (Proverbs 26:11; 2 Peter 2:22). We must not allow ourselves to be
slaves to sin, and the devils, now that we are set free in Christ (Romans
6:6-14). God, being a merciful and patient God, in hearing their complaints,
provided the Israelites with manna (bread) from heaven (v. 4). It is amazing
how stiff-necked, and hard-hearted, these people were in that they continually
saw God protecting them, and providing for them, in supernatural ways; yet,
they continually murmured against Moses, Aaron, and God, when they did not get
what they wanted, when they wanted it. Are we any different? Do we overlook God’s
blessings in our lives because we are too busy paying attention to how He is
blessing others? Do we honestly count our blessings each day? Did you wake up
this morning? You are blessed with another day of life, another opportunity to
glorify God, and gain heavenly reward. Did you get out of bed on your own
without the help of someone else or having to use a walker or wheelchair? You
are blessed with health and strength to carry on for another day. Did you wake
up to go to a job that you continually complain about? You woke up with health
and strength to go to a job that someone else would take in a heartbeat because
that person, and his/her family, is suffering because he/she is unemployed and
does not know where the next meal is coming from. Do I need to continue? The
fact of the matter is that regardless of who we are, if we are a child of God,
we are in possession of the greatest blessing that the world cannot provide for
us…eternal life. God provided the Israelites with manna from heaven that
sustained them in the wilderness, but eventually died in the wilderness. The
Israelites cried out for that which sustained the body and life here on earth,
and missed the blessing of appreciating the God who wanted to save their soul
and give them life beyond life on earth. Today, God has provided us with the
Bread of Heaven, Jesus Christ (John 6:51). If God chose to give us nothing
else, we are still blessed more than anyone who possesses all the riches of
this world, but does not have Jesus. We have life eternal in Jesus Christ, and
to add to it, God has promised to provide for our earthly needs, if we will
seek the Kingdom of Heaven first (Matthew 6:25-34). What is your complaint
today? What are you lacking that exceeds what God has already given us in
Christ? Hebrews 13:5-6 reminds us of a great blessing we already possess, Let your conduct be without
covetousness; be content with
such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
6 So
we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not
fear. What can man do to me?” We have the Bread of
Heaven who will sustain us in, and guide us through, this wilderness we call
life, on our way to our Promise Land where our Heavenly Father awaits our
arrival.
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