Grumbling . . . again

 

 

READ Exodus 13-16

For my birthday, my hubby gave me a newer model of a tracker. I installed the app on my smart phone, then updated the same app on my computer. It synchronized fine, but would not do it again. I discovered that the tracker would not connect to the Bluetooth on my PC and finally found a chatline support person on the website for the tracker.

He informed me their newer models would only connect to phones and tablets, not computers. Really? Is that an indication that desktops and laptops will soon be obsolete? Or maybe the people who made the tracker will go out of business? Yikes. Or am I so totally behind the times in not wanting to be tied to my phone for much more than calling people and playing solitaire?

I was dismayed and annoyed. I wanted to grumble. Well, I confess, I did grumble. Then I read today’s readings. God told Moses that He would supply their food every day and how they were to gather it. They complained to Moses:

So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” (Exodus 16:6–8)

I know this. I know that God is sovereign and if I complain about anything, I am expressing annoyance at His decisions and displaying a lack of faith. I also realize some people would say that it was not God who decided to make trackers that would not work on computers, but I disagree. Ultimately, God can turn the hearts of kings to do His will, never mind put thoughts in the heads of computer app makers or anyone else.

Those who doubt that need to read the OT. I also know He can give me and all people good ideas and the ability to carry them out. He is the reason we can live and move, breathe and have our being.

Reading more, the Lord fed these people forty years with food they merely needed to gather every day. They didn’t even plant it, weed it, or have to grind it into grain. So what did they have to complain about? His goodness also extended to supplying clean water and taking care of their health. The water came after they grumbled about bad water. The health issue was given at the same time — and if this isn’t motivation to comply to His will, what is?

Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water. (Exodus 15:22–27)

Lesson: God has graciously supplied all I need. An exercise tracker is not a necessity but I grumbled for part of the day over it instead of being on my face thankful for food, clean water, and such amazing health that I am active enough to even use and appreciate a tracker. I also know that grumbling about anything is really against the Lord. I am thoroughly annoyed at myself — but also appreciate God’s timely rebuke and His awesome forgiveness. Someone should invent a tracker that records sin and/or obedience . . . well, actually, God already did; His Word and His Holy Spirit do the job extremely well!

 

No fear of death . . .

 

READ Exodus 9-12

Almost two years ago just as Covid began its rampage, I was standing in line at a large store and began chatting about this new threat with the woman behind me. She said, “I believe that God controls who lives or dies.” I agreed. While we are all terminal, I also believe that the way we die is up to God.

Last week, my oldest son said a similar thing. “I believe God controls when and how I die, by Covid or hit by a bus, and that’s why I am not afraid of death.” The woman confessed to me her faith in Christ, as did my son. This lack of fear is the wonder of the Gospel and the result of trusting in Jesus Christ:

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15)

This power over death and slavery was depicted thousands of years ago in the OT exodus. God’s people wanted out of Egypt, but their captor would not let them go. Pharaoh was repeatedly softened by the plagues, yet when they were removed, he hardened his heart. Finally, he lost that control and for His purposes, God began to harden him, showing that He is sovereign Lord, even over political leaders:

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.” (Exodus 10:1–2)

We may not understand why things happen, but this tells me that God is in charge of even the hearts of kings and has reasons for allowing even extreme opposition against His people.

The last plague involved death. It again showed the truth that God controls all things, including death. With this plague, someone from every household would die — except those who put the blood of a slain lamb on the doors of their home. This would be an act of faith, trusting God’s word even though such an action makes little sense. Nevertheless, when the angel of death came, anyone who died or lived depended on their response to His instructions:

For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:12–13)

This is a clear picture of the Gospel. It points to the blood of Christ and how His death releases those who believe in Him from their slavery to sin, even from their slavery to the fear of death.

The promises of God and the accounts of all He has done, plus faith in Jesus Christ makes a justifiable difference to how any threats to life affect God’s people. No one wants to suffer, but knowing the Lord is in charge of death, even in control of the dying process, makes a difference. Believing in Jesus is a powerful antidote to fear.

Lesson: Today I’m thinking about my age and the ticking clock. I have no idea when God will call me home, but because of the blood of Jesus, I know that the angel of eternal death will pass over me. My physical death is up to the Lamb but He has given me eternal life with Him. Today and every day is a good time to celebrate how He has set me free from the fear of death and given me joy in the freedom of trusting Him.