1For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; …for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness. 6 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 7 Do not be idolaters…, 8 Nor let us act immorally…, 9 Nor let us try the Lord…, 10 Nor grumble…, as some of them did. (1 Corinthians 10:1-10)
It is interesting that God chose grumbling as one of five evils of the fathers to use as an example to warn disciples today. We can be bitter and grumble or “Go Making Disciples”. Ellie has captured this warning in her devotion below. Henry Luke 10/18/2014
GRUMBLE AND COMPLAIN OCTOBER 17, 2014
“My soul loathes my life; I will give free course to my complaint; I will speak the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God, ‘Do not condemn me; show me why You contend with me. Does it seem good to you that You should oppress, that You should despise the work of Your hands?'” (Job 10:1-3).
Whew! Pretty strong words from Job himself as he railed against God because of his painful circumstancs. If you are familiar with the story of Job, you could hardly blame him for complaining. He was a good and righteous man. Even so, terrible things had befallen him and he could not see God in any of it–he could find no reason to give thanks.
Aren’t we like that at times–finding it difficult to see anything good come out of something that seems so bad. We not only fail to give thanks, but instead allow ourselves to GRUMBLE AND COMPLAIN. We might even ask;”God where are you?” We sometimes fail to look for His goodness and delight in picking out what we perceive as shortcomings, erroneously thinking we are showing a “spirit of discernment.”
But complaining is always the same, whether it is on the temporal or the spiritual plane. It ALWAYS has in it the element of fault finding. Webster says “to complain” is to make a charge or an accusation.” It isn’t merely disliking the thing we have to bear, but it contains the element of finding fault with the agency that lies behind it. If we carefully examine the true nature of our complaints, we will generally find they are founded on a subtle fault finding with God. Have you noticed that folks who care so little about God and seldom mention His name, are the first to blame Him for everything bad that happens. “Why did He let this happen? If He is such a good God, why didn’t He stop it?”……
Some people are always complaining, nothing ever pleases or satisfies them, and no kindness seems ever to be appreciated. I don’t know about you, but I am extremely uncomfortable in the company of folks who grumble and complain–they seem to find nothing good in anything or anyone. Nothing ever seems to satisfy them. How often God must turn away, grieved by the constant complaining of His children upon whom He has bestowed so many blessings.
We can hardly wonder at Job’s complaints because of what he suffered. And yet if he could have seen the divine side of all his troubles, he would have known that they were permitted in the tenderest love and were to bring him a revelation of God that he could not have had by any other means. If he could have seen the outcome, he would not have uttered a single complaint but would have given triumphant thanks for the trials that were to bring him such a glorious result.
If we could see the provisions our divine Master has made for us, surely our hearts would be filled with THANKSGIVING and our mouths with PRAISE even in our “wilderness times.”
Beloved, no depth of misery is too great for the sacrifice of thanksgiving. We cannot give thanks for the misery, but we can give thanks to the Lord IN the misery. No matter what our trouble, the Lord is in it somewhere, and HE is there to help us through and bless us. It is not because THINGS are good that we are to thank the Lord, but because HE is good.
So, dear one, the next time you feel dead, cold, and depressed, begin to PRAISE and THANK the Lord. Number the benefits He has bestowed on you, thank Him from your heart for each one, and feel your spirit rise and your heart warmed as your spiritual eyes open and you begin to see all the wonders of HIS love for you. Then you can say with your whole heart; “Thanks, thanks, I give You thanks for all You’ve done! I am so blessed. My soul is at rest. O, Lord I give You thanks.”
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. You are good to all and Your mercies are over all Your works. I give You thanks that You are near to all who call on Your name in truth. Lord, I offer up to You my sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for the bountiful blessings You have bestowed even in times when my faith was small and I had failed You–still You were there by my side, loving me, caring for me, guiding my steps to a better place. When I look back at all You have done, I am overwhelmed by Your goodness and mercy. I love You, Abba Father and I give You thanks and praise for Your excellent greatness…..
In Christ alone and for His glory, Ellie