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Grace and Grumbling
by Adam Bennett Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD (Exodus 16:8). The people of Israel were good at grumbling. They grumbled about water (Exodus 15:24) and about food (Exodus 16:2-3)... then they grumbled more about water (Exodus 17:3). These were people who had seen perpetual miracles as God intervened to release them from captivity in Egypt and at each step demonstrated his power to provide. He guided them as a cloud and pillar of fire in such a dramatic way they should have found it difficult to forget God's provision. Yet, soon after they had crossed through the red sea and sung, "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD ? Who is like you majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?" (Exodus 15:11), Moses had to remind them, "Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD." (16.8) Are we different? We who know the grace of God exercised in the death of Jesus; Who have the Holy Spirit given to us; Who are conscious that we have nothing except that which was given us: How often to we grumble? Are we grateful for God's grace and his providence? Or, like the Israelites, do we complain about the things he has provided to sustain us: jobs, finance, family, food, friends, homes etc. We need to be reminded, like the Israelites were, that when we complain it is against God himself we are grumbling. Paul wrote to the Romans, "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (8:32). God has provided the most worthy and valuable thing that exists for our benefit - we can be sure that he will grant, or has given, all that we need. With this in mind we can live by the simple instruction, "Do all things without grumbling or questioning," (Phillipians 2:14). Grace and grumbling should not coincide. Copyright Adam Bennett 2009. More articles are available at http://godward-thoughts.blogspot.com/ Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |