Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:4-5

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Discontentment

While reading in Numbers chapter 11 this morning I had to stop and just think about what I was reading and search my own heart. This is going to be a very transparent post, because this struck home for me big time. Here were the children of Israel. No longer in bondage in Egypt, God providing for their needs, yet complaining. They were putting themselves in "bondage" to themselves through discontentment. Their complaining so angered God that he actually brought fire down from heaven and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. God had made a way of escape for these people, provided for their needs in miraculous ways, and they were not grateful at all! They began to crave the foods that they had while they were in bondage in Egypt. So much so that they wept and Moses cried out to God asking why God dealt so poorly with him as God's servant!

So many times in my life I look at the small discomforts and the small problems and those small problems cloud my thoughts and make me cry out to God asking why he placed this burden on me! When really, I need to keep my focus on the big picture and see how God has provided miraculously in so many ways and so many times! And thank Him for how he has provided and ask him to continually provide what I do need! The children of Israel did receive their "meat" that they so craved, but it came with a price. While the meat was still between their teeth, the Lord brought a plague and struck down all those who had the craving for the meat.

Obviously, God does not judge us the same way today. We are not struck down for being dissatisfied with what God does provide for us, but what if he did? How many times is God angry with me when I allow discontentment to creep into my life? Oh what a thought! No, I may not have everything I would want or crave, and maybe there are days when it seems I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel because of the burdens that I carry....but that is my fault! My focus is off! I need to keep my focus fixed on all that God has done and is doing in my life. I need to trust that He knows best! Because for the children of Israel, the manna was best for them. They craved the meat, but it was not what they were supposed to have. Oh what a lesson to be learned! May I crave, not what I don't have or even used to have, but may I crave that which God would want me to have trusting that He will provide what is best for my life! Lord, help me keep my focus on you!