Drop your moaning (2)

We're stranded on an island with a friend. We are, literally, starving. So we pray. And ta-da! A fresh loaf of bread appears in front of us. But then our friend turns round and says, 'Um, great work on the bread, but why couldn't God send us a roast?' To most of us, that seems really ungrateful. We can get the same feeling reading the Israelites' reaction to their daily God-provided manna (read the story in Numbers 11).

The thing is, though, we all do it. When we complain about what we have, even when it seems reasonable to moan, we're bringing God's capability, and his decisions, into question. We're telling him that what he's given to us isn't enough. When we tell him that the beat-up-but-reliable car he gave us isn't a new Holden, or that the grade he gave us the knowledge to attain wasn't quite a merit one, we're not trusting his plan. In short, we're saying that the pain, humiliation and death that our God suffered for us wasn't sufficient. We're ignoring grace.

Tough talk, we know. But it's important for us to realise that, even when things feel really rough, we've been given everything we need, because we have God. Despite the fact that we've messed up, he chose to give himself to us.



So what now? Think about the person who disappointed you last (for whatever reason, big or small). Go out of your way for that person today, even if it's just a friendly text or surprise chocolate bar.





— SCRIPTURE —

'When the people complained, it displeased the Lord.' Numbers 11:1 NKJV
— SOULFOOD —

Acts 10-11, Matt 3:11-17, Ps 103:13-22, Pro 10:30-32