Numbers 21: 4b-5 But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”
“Happiness does not make us grateful, gratitude keeps us happy – always”.
Gratitude makes us patient, perseverant and pertinent but ingratitude will shame us with impoliteness, impetuousness and impatience. A quick-tempered and impatient person lacks gratitude. Those who take time to ruminate on the goodness of God will automatically overflow with gratitude. Start your day and your prayer with thanksgiving. Start praising God for the small mercies. Praise and gratitude tenderizes our heart and softens us to see the graciousness of God. However, those who constantly think, worry and stress about their need, problem or their unmet wants will grouch and grumble. Grumpy complainers invite demonic intruders into their territory.
The Hebrew slaves who were freed from Egypt grew impatient in the wilderness and protested against God and Moses. They had wandered in the desert for almost 39 years because of their disobedience and lack of faith but the Lord God had provided them with water from the rock and miracle manna. Ungratefully they called the ‘miracle manna’ – ‘miserable meals’. They ate the food of angels and lived under natural air-conditioners (the pillar of cloud and fire), in spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of His wonders, they did not believe (Psalm 78:31). Ungratefulness, grouchiness and bad-temper invited fiery serpents into the camp of Israel.
Complaining against God and His servants is an appalling sin. Gratitude increases love and respect for the Lord but complaining is defamatory and derogatory. Complaining opens the door wide for the demonic stealers, torturers and murderers to ravage our homes with disunity, hatred and ungratefulness.
Ingratitude and complaining invite diabolical intruders:
1. Impertinence: Ingratitude makes us imprudent. It stirs up idiocy and illogical arguments. Ungrateful and complaining generations are foolish, disobedient, deceiving, enslaved by worldly pleasures, full of malice, envy and hatred (Titus 3:3). So, were the ungrateful Israelites. Hence we must be cautious not to gripe, grouch or grouse.
2. Impatience: Impatience will destroy the harvest of our hard work with foolish words, actions or reactions. Impatience is dangerous and destructive. It will shake the tree and make the tender fruits fall. It will start a forest fire and burn the barn down.
3. Implode: Impatience and imprudence imploded as anger and exploded as foolish complaints against God. God is not indebted to anyone. We don’t and can’t earn the blessings of God. He blesses us because He is gracious and kind. Imploding will cause depression and exploding will cause division. The tongue lashers implode with ingratitude in their heart and explode with hurtful words against God and those care about them. To correct the tongue, the heart must be transformed.
Ingratitude is destructive and demonic. Refrain from belaboring and bickering and keep the devil away from your territory.
Philippians 2:14 “Do everything without complaining and arguing.”
Prayer: Dearest Lord Jesus, I surrender my heart, my thoughts and tongue to praise and worship you and not to complain, grouch and whine foolishly. Amen.
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