grumbling

in exodus 16-17,
just after ten giant plagues in Egypt
and immediately after the crossing of the Red Sea
[which is so miraculous that the whole nation of 600,000 men, besides women and children, sing praises to God as their Saviour and because of the certainty that He will take them to the Promised Land]

three days after that they're thirsty and they start to say things like "did you bring us out here to die?" and "it'd be better if we were back in Egypt". and then a couple of months in they're dying of thirst again and Moses says to God that the people are so angry that they are ready to stone him.

and there are so many things going on here. in Hebrews we'll learn that even though they had so much reason to, they majority never had true faith in God. and in Corinthians Paul's going to tell us that this is all a warning to us to, among other things, make sure we don't grumble.

and so the main thing i was asking myself as i walked home last night was: 'did the Israelites have reason to grumble?'
and i thought about my own life and the areas where i would think i was justified in grumbling.
and on the one hand - yes, of course they had reason to. they had left their homes and property and had with them only what could be carried and they were out in the desert dying of thirst and soon their entire nation would be wiped out. it was a severe situation.

but on the other hand - no. are you insane? you have been delivered from Egypt by a God of limitless power that has been demonstrated on many occasions, in crucial times for your good and preservation and with the end that you will be taken to a great land of beauty and freedom away from the chains and impossible labour you were under.

and i suppose this does connect these things together because the only reason you'd complain would be if you didn't trust that God was good and able to provide for you.

so then there's me. going through life's little ups and downs. and in the downs i'm wondering and i'm praying and i don't know why on earth God has brought me to this place. why does He want me to feel like this? and i'm tempted to throw my lot in with Israel and just complain. but the question is not 'am i experiencing anything that's difficult here?' because nine times out of ten the answer will legitimately be 'yes' (and then we'll feel like we're justified in complaining) but the question is 'am i in a situation that is out of God's control?' because the answer to that is always 'no' and with it, the question 'do i have cause to complain?' will be 'no' also.