Complainers

"Do everything without complaining or arguing."  Philippians 2:14

The Israelites were a whining, complaining, murmuring bunch of people.  God had sent ten miraculous plagues to convince Pharaoh to allow them to leave Egypt.  He had rescued them from Pharaoh's army, which pursued them.  He had made a path through the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to walk across on dry land.  Then He had drowned the entire Egyptian army, mightily rescuing His people from their enemies.

The Israelites traveled for three days into the desert without finding water until they came to Marah.  The water at Marah was too bitter to drink, and the people grumbled to Moses because they were thirsty.  God showed Moses a piece of wood which he threw into the water, and the water became sweet.

After the Israelites had been in the desert for a month and a half, they grumbled against Moses and Aaron because they were hungry.  Then God gave them manna to eat the entire time they were in the wilderness.  By and by the Israelites grew tired of eating manna everyday, and they complained about that.  Charles Swindoll wrote,  " Mrs. Moses' cookbook surely had a special section on 'A Thousand and One Ways to Fix Manna.'  Unless I miss my guess, she had tried them all.....99 times.  What potatoes are to Idaho, pineapples are to Hawaii, wheat to Kansas, and crab gumbo to New Orleans, manna was to the wandering Hebrews for forty weary years.  They boiled it, baked it, broiled it, barbequed it, breaded, and buttered it.  They ate it cold, hot, raw, cooked, sliced for sandwiches, baked in pies, and sprinkled on their cereal.  You name it--they tried it.  When everyone came in to eat, they didn't ask,  "What's for supper?' but, "How'd you fix it?  Mealtime was about as exciting as watching paint dry or listening to the minutes of last year's meeting."   The Israelites complained so much about the manna that God sent them quail to eat.  Psalm 106:15 King James says,  "And he gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul."  What chilling words!  May we never want anything of the world so badly that we damage our relationship with God.

Their grumbling and complaining was their way of dealing with circumstances they did not like.  They were, in essence, telling God they were dissatisfied with Him and with His plans and provisions for them.  How should they have responded to their various circumstances?  How do you respond to your circumstances?

Heavenly Father, instead of whining and complaining about difficult circumstances, may we trust You, remembering all the times You have rescued us, provided for us, and protected us in the past.  May we praise You and thank You for Your faithfulness.  Amen.