From Praise to Grumbling

In Exodus 14 the Israelites, fleeing from Egypt, saw a great working of God’s power.  As they fled from Egypt, Pharaoh and his army ran after them.  They reached the red sea, looking as if they were trapped.  But God commanded Moses to raise his hands, and the sea was divided so that the Israelites could cross.  The Egyptians ran after them, but God commanded Moses again to raise his hand, and the sea drowned Pharaoh and his army.

The Israelites had just seen a great and mighty working of God as He saved them from the hands of the Egyptians.  Because of this, in Chapter 15 of Exodus, they sang a song of praise!

Then, right after the miracle, and right after singing to the Lord, the people grumbled!

Exodus 15:22-24 (NIV)

[22] Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. [23] When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) [24] So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”

And then right after that they grumbled again, this time about food!

Exodus 16:1-3 (NIV)

[1] The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. [2] In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. [3] The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

How quickly they forgot about the greatness and faithfulness of their God.  At one moment they were witness to a great miracle.  The next moment they are praising God with all their might for what He has done.  Then, in the next moment they grumble, complain, questioning His faithfulness.

Just like us.  Lest we judge the Israelites for their lack of faith and trust...are we not in the same boat.  Maybe not as quick as the Israelites were, but are there not times that we praise God for His faithfulness, witnesses of His great work in our life.  And then, the next moment, in the next trial or problem we grumble and doubt the working of God.

Only when God graciously assures us again by His word, His promises do our hearts calm down and quietly trust.

Again, maybe not in the same way as the Israelites, but there are times when we face trials and needs that are so great that we tend to forget about how God has been so great and faithful in the past.

That is how important God’s assurance through His Word is for us day after day, moment after moment.  This is why it is so important for us to be in fellowship with the Lord everyday, meditating upon His Word and promises...because we are so prone to wander away from our God and focus on the trials and problems we face.  

And that’s what His Word is for - to remind us of who He is, and to assure us again and again of His faithfulness in fulfilling His promises for us.

As we seek Him and His Word every day, may the Lord fill our hearts with the assurance of who He is, His promises, His will every moment of our life, that we may not grumble and complain, and fix our eyes only on the greatness and faithfulness of our God.

Get Wisdom!

Proverbs 4:5-7 (NIV)

[5] Get wisdom, get understanding; 

do not forget my words or swerve from them.

[6] Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; 

love her, and she will watch over you.

[7] Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. 

Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

God’s wisdom.  I don’t know how many of us realize how important it is to have this, to pray for this, for our everyday life.  How essential, how important it is to walk with this wisdom.

Have you ever realized what an act of grace it is for the most holy and wise God to grant us the privilege of asking Him for His wisdom for our everyday life?  What a blessing it is to be guided with His wisdom, His words, for our personal life, family life, for our work!

And, have we ever given thought of what we do when we pray for wisdom?  We are asking the God of the heavens and the earth, the Creator of the universe, the One holding all things together, for His wisdom to guide us in our everyday life....what a grace indeed.  What a privilege.

And that’s why Solomon told his sons - “get it”!  Don’t just look at it...get it.  Take hold of it.  Do not forsake it.  Love it.  It is supreme.

Sadly, many Christians don’t have this attitude about God’s wisdom.  We are so used to trusting in our own wisdom, looking up to the wisdom of the world, of successful businessmen and the philosophy of this world that we don’t seem to have the hunger for God’s wisdom.  We just don’t have the time to seek it.

“Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”

What does it cost us to get God’s wisdom?

Time.  

We just need to set apart a time to sit down, worship, and seek God for His wisdom and guidance.  Time to fellowship with other believers.  Time to have a bible study, or to be discipled.

And sometimes it may cost us money...maybe to buy a bible, or a book that will bring us to God and His word.  Or maybe to attend a retreat or seminar that will help in our Christian growth.

If God is supreme in our hearts, His wisdom will also be supreme for us.  I pray He may be supreme in our hearts, that His wisdom will also be supreme.

Though it costs all we have let us get wisdom.  We cannot live without it.