Complaining, A serious offense

Complaining.....I rarely go through a day without it. We hear it everywhere we go and from almost everyone we know. I am afraid I do it far more than I care to admit. We are not the first generation to complain about everything. It goes all the way back to the children of Israel and before. In Numbers 11, God supplies a story of a nation complaining and the consequences their complaining brought them. Verse 1 says, the people complained and the Lord's angered was kindled. God sent fire among the camp to engulf the ones who were murmuring against him. Israel cried out to Moses and Moses prayed to God to stop the fire. He did. Fast forward just one verse and the congregation began to desire to have meat to eat. They did not want the manna God had supplied but dreamed of the fish they ate while they were in bondage. Verse 10 says, there was great complaining among the people. Throughout their families they were so displeased with their situation that they were weeping among themselves about how they desired something besides what God had given them. Again God's anger was provoked. The children of Israel complained among themselves so much, God took notice and decided to do something about it. He sent quail, so much quail that it encircled the camp on all sides, a days journey in all directions and three foot high. That is a lot of fish! The first thing Israel did was not fall on their knees in thanksgiving that God had supplied. They went to hoard as much fish as possible. Verse 32 says, they gathered all day, all night, and all the next day. This was just another example of how ungrateful their hearts had become. I can just imagine God standing there shaking his head in unbelief that they could not trust his provisions enough to just gather what they needed. After all, he had been supplying manna every day for years at this point. God again grew angry and sent a plague to smite the people before they could even swallow the thing they desired so much. God wants us to desire him above all. When we show little restraint in our pursuit of material things, always looking to the next thing, continually complaining about what we don't have, His wrath is kindled toward us. Can't we just trust him to take care of us? He has for years why would he stop now? Complaining is a hard habit to break. We must take notice of what God has done and develop a thankful heart through reflection on His previous love and care. In this chapter of Numbers, Moses was also found making a complaint, but I believe the difference was that His requests were made to God directly and not everyone else. Israel made their agony known to each other and not to God. Dear friend this chapter hit me hard, God takes our complaining seriously. Death by fire and plagues are serious consequences. Take notice of your murmurings today and notice that you are truly blessed. He is our Father, His job is to see to our needs. Trust Him fully so you can reflect a thankful heart.
Read Numbers 11
Philippians 2:14-15 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."
Psalm 142:1-3a "I cried unto the Lord with my voice, with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before Him: I shewed before Him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knew est my path."