The Israelites who were a part of the exodus from Egypt time and time again complained about the circumstances they were in. Whether that was being followed by the Egyptian army, lacking, water, or even food. In every tough circumstance, they chose to complain instead of seeking the Lord’s help. Even after he rescued them, provided, water, and feed them still they met hard times by complaining instead of seeking God.
Exodus 14:10–12 (ESV)
10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Exodus 14:30–31 (ESV)
30 Thus the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses.
Exodus 15:23–25 (ESV)
23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 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,
Exodus 16:2–3 (ESV)
2 And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3 and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Exodus 16:12–15 (ESV)
12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
13 In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. 14 And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.
Oh God let us from this example in your word. Help us to never respond in the same way as those before we did. May we never choose to mummer and complain about the circumstances we face. Instead, may we always pray for your help and provision whenever times get hard. Always trusting in you fully. Remembering what you have done for us before and knowing you are willing to do it again. May we never complain instead of seeking you with our whole heart. Because we know by doing so we will have all we need.
1 Corinthians 10:11 (ESV)
11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)
17 pray without ceasing,
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
You will face hard times and you may not always like where you are but those are never reasons to complain. Because a complaint will never change the circumstance you are in but prayer will. So turn to prayer and seek the Lord your God. Bring your needs before Him and make your request known. He is loving, merciful, and compassionate. Willing to hear and answer your prayers.
1 John 5:14–15 (ESV)
14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
Your prayer will do what a complaint could never do, cause your situation to change for the better. So don’t be like the early Israelites who always complained, but be like Moses. Who instead always prayed and sought the Lord earnestly. The Lord heard his prayers and consistently changed the circumstances.
Visit Justin’s personal website Here. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. Also, be sure to stop by our prayer wall.