O.k. so in my reading this week, Israel just crossed the parted Red Sea on dry ground and witnessed that miracle and show of God's strength. (Exodus 14) Not to mention all the plagues and other shows of God's power and strength.
Yet here we are in chapter 15 and they have started murmuring.
Here is the definition of murmuring.
1. To make a low, continuous, indistinct sound or succession of sounds.
2. To complain in low mumbling tones; grumble.
Is it actively communicating and trying to solve or work through a problem? Nope. It's just grumbling, and not even so people can hear or understand what you're saying, just contributing to a negative pessimistic air and attitude. Does that murmuring do anything good for the children of Israel?
Does murmuring ever do anything good for you?
Our whole purpose in being here on earth is to be tested. I think some of us know this but often forget it. Some of you know this truth that we are here to be tested and forget it once that testing begins. I know I do sometimes.
God doesn't want us to suffer, but he does want us to grow and develop, and that doesn't happen without SOME (or a lot) of STRETCHING, and moving, and changing, and doing things differently than we were doing before.
We won't be tested above what we're able to handle. This is shown in Exodus 13: 17. When the Israelites were leaving Egypt, God had Moses take them the long way around the Philistines because their faith wasn't strong enough to go through those lands yet.
Sometimes we're tested by intense episodes that seem to overwhelm every part of our very being. Other times we're tested by smaller problems that don't go away very quickly, and persistently start eating at us. Or both at the same time. :) The Israelites were tested by an intense trial when the Egyptian army had almost reached them after they had been released, and they started crying to Moses- why did you bring us here just so we would die in the wilderness! And then God showed them his power and that he truly was in charge by opening the way for them and parting the Red Sea and then crushing it on top of the Egyptian army when they tried to follow. He also tested their endurance in the wilderness with water and then food, and each time they murmured but then God still blessed them with pure water and the manna from heaven.
Poor Israel, not really standing up to their tests like the chosen people of God should. They murmured toward Moses and directly to God, saying each time that life had been better in Egypt, and why were we out here anyway? They were free now! But of course they couldn't see that God was trying to get them ready for their own land, and even after awhile they complained about the manna and their clothes. They were bored of them. Do you murmur when you have had the same trial for an extended period of time? When you have been so frugal and working so hard to financially be free, and you still aren't where you think you should be? Or how about a physical trial that won't get taken away? (I know this is one of my hardest trials, being a positive happy influence when my body is at a low point.)
So where do you fall? When you have a trial, are you the first to blame God and murmur and be angry about it or angry at someone else? Or are you strong and turn your heart and mind to God in prayer asking for strength to endure and possibly overcome if it is His will?
I know I have some repenting to do on this one.
Is it actively communicating and trying to solve or work through a problem? Nope. It's just grumbling, and not even so people can hear or understand what you're saying, just contributing to a negative pessimistic air and attitude. Does that murmuring do anything good for the children of Israel?
Does murmuring ever do anything good for you?
Our whole purpose in being here on earth is to be tested. I think some of us know this but often forget it. Some of you know this truth that we are here to be tested and forget it once that testing begins. I know I do sometimes.
God doesn't want us to suffer, but he does want us to grow and develop, and that doesn't happen without SOME (or a lot) of STRETCHING, and moving, and changing, and doing things differently than we were doing before.
We won't be tested above what we're able to handle. This is shown in Exodus 13: 17. When the Israelites were leaving Egypt, God had Moses take them the long way around the Philistines because their faith wasn't strong enough to go through those lands yet.
Sometimes we're tested by intense episodes that seem to overwhelm every part of our very being. Other times we're tested by smaller problems that don't go away very quickly, and persistently start eating at us. Or both at the same time. :) The Israelites were tested by an intense trial when the Egyptian army had almost reached them after they had been released, and they started crying to Moses- why did you bring us here just so we would die in the wilderness! And then God showed them his power and that he truly was in charge by opening the way for them and parting the Red Sea and then crushing it on top of the Egyptian army when they tried to follow. He also tested their endurance in the wilderness with water and then food, and each time they murmured but then God still blessed them with pure water and the manna from heaven.
Poor Israel, not really standing up to their tests like the chosen people of God should. They murmured toward Moses and directly to God, saying each time that life had been better in Egypt, and why were we out here anyway? They were free now! But of course they couldn't see that God was trying to get them ready for their own land, and even after awhile they complained about the manna and their clothes. They were bored of them. Do you murmur when you have had the same trial for an extended period of time? When you have been so frugal and working so hard to financially be free, and you still aren't where you think you should be? Or how about a physical trial that won't get taken away? (I know this is one of my hardest trials, being a positive happy influence when my body is at a low point.)
So where do you fall? When you have a trial, are you the first to blame God and murmur and be angry about it or angry at someone else? Or are you strong and turn your heart and mind to God in prayer asking for strength to endure and possibly overcome if it is His will?
I know I have some repenting to do on this one.
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