Give us an Attitude of Gratitude
What do you complain about the most?
Isn’t it amazing how fast our attitudes can change? When we take our eyes off what God is doing in our lives, and instead, focus on what He is not doing in our lives that we think He ought to be doing, our whole outlook changes.
“The riff-raff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, “Why can’t we have meat? We ate fish in Egypt – and got it free! – to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic. But nothing tastes good out here; all we get is this manna.”
(Numbers 11:4-6 The Message)
The people of Israel didn’t seem to notice what God was doing for them because they were so wrapped up in what He was not doing for them.
What was He doing for them?
Setting them free: through a series of miraculous events God has rescued the Israelites from 400 years of slavery.
Making them a nation: God has given the Israelites a new law, a holy standard of living, and has called them “my People.”
Bringing them to a new land: God is leading His people to a land “flowing with milk and honey.”
Needles to say, those were incredible times to be a part of the People of Israel. God was doing some amazing things among them.
Yet, what were they thinking about?
The good food they had left behind.
They forgot that all that good food came at a hefty price: the sting of the whip on their backs, living in bondage, the lack of freedom to worship as they please for generation after generation.
Every morning the Israelites would witness a miracle: food from heaven!
This was not good enough for them.
(v.13) “Give us meat that we may eat!”
Moses is so fed up with them he asks God to kill him: (v.15).
God tells Moses that He will give them meat; so much meat that it will come out their noses!
And He does; but along with the meat He sends a plague (a very severe plague) to punish them for their greed.
So what was their sin?
Their big problem here was their lust; they were craving for the things of the past.
Lust is defined as an unnatural or greedy desire for anything: Sports, Knowledge, Possessions, Influence over others, Power, and in this case, Food.
God punishes Israel for craving good food! Their desire wasn’t wrong; we all enjoy good food. The sin was allowing that desire to turn to greed. They began to obsess over food, they felt it was their right to have fine foods, and they could think of nothing else.
We see this attitude very clearly in our society today. I recently heard a radio ad about the importance of keeping kids off of drugs. The narrator was saying that kids who use drugs usually “don’t get the jobs that they deserve”…I had to laugh…Kids don’t deserve a job; they have to go out and find one. And when they find a job they have to work hard to keep it.
Another ad said that with this Home Business plan you will “get the success you deserve…”
We also saw this in New Orleans after the hurricane Katrina swept in. People were waiting in line to receive free food and a news clip showed a woman complaining because the food wasn’t up to her standards.
When you become preoccupied with something until it affects your perspective on everything else, you have moved from desire to lust.
Lets take a lesson from the Israelites. We are not too different from them. The God that led them through the wilderness is the same God that is leading us today. Let’s remember what happened to them and vow that we will not do the same.
We all have our own wilderness to wander through: family problems, health problems, money problems.
God will not abandon us in the wilderness. Just as He cared for the Israelites He will care for us. I once heard a wise old timer say, “God is more concerned with your character than your comfort.” How true that is!
Let’s vow to keep an attitude of gratitude for all that God has done, is doing, and will do in our lives.
Peace to you,
Pastor John