No running away from it… the word for the day from the text is grumbling. The Israelites grumbled incessantly against Moses and against the Lord.
Have you ever been around people who grumble? It is exhausting. They are masters at finding fault with the way other people do things and they let everyone know it. They moan and complain and point fingers and jabber about this and on and on it goes.
Grumbling is exhausting for people in leadership but it is also exhausting for everyday people. If you have ever been in a work environment where coffee break conversations are filled by certain people and their grumbling you know what I am mean.
Grumbling is like the constant drip of a leaky faucet.
Even though God gave a clear sign about who was in charge, the whining and grumbling didn’t cease. The final words of the chapter are more drips from the grumbling faucet: The Israelites said to Moses, “We will die! We are lost, we are all lost! Anyone who even comes near the tabernacle of the LORD will die. Are we all going to die?” (12-13). Uugh!
As I considered and pictured this scene, the Lord, not so subtly, reminded me that when I complain without being willing to be part of the solution I, too, am a dripping faucet.
The Lord went on to show me that when I talk about others’ faults or the church’s or an organization’s faults and problems without recognizing his or its strengths, I am a dripping faucet.
When I only see life through the lens of ‘what’s in it for me’, I can very easily slide into grumbling…
Oh, God, forgive me. Forgive me for tearing down rather than building up… forgive me for being part of the problem rather than the solution… forgive me for NOT trusting You, Oh, Lord.
Thank You, Jesus, for loving me despite how I act many times. I pray in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
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