“[And Moses said,] For what are we, that you grumble against us? When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”
“All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ And Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’ So Moses cried to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.’ And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the Lord by saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?'” Exodus 16:7b-8; 17:1-7
Too soon after the Israelites had seen the whole of the Red Sea divided for their escape from Egypt, they became shortsighted with their difficulties. Rather than maintaining a long across-the-sea view of God’s mercies and high-as-the-piled-water view of His majesty and power, they succumbed to the puddled inward misery of self-absorption. And they took it out on their steadfast leader, opposing him at every turn- grumbling, quarreling, complaining. Their distorted spiritual vision kept them from recognizing they were really opposing God Himself. They sought comfort, Moses sought the Lord. (Exodus 14:16-31; 15:22-24)
Having an understanding and fear of the holy God makes a big difference in the way and measure we bicker and battle. The enemy is intent on blinding eyes in unbelief so there is little sense of accountability to anyone or anything but selfish desires. Encased in an us vs. them mentality, man becomes hardened to decency and loves to blame. My misery is your fault.
Is this where we are, always looking for what’s wrong and who else caused it? Whining at every turn, forcing others to be miserable too? DO others take out their frustrations on us? If so, would we, like Moses, take angst and pressures to the Lord? How can we maintain a right perspective on God’s sovereignty, ongoing grace, and our stewardship of all He has given? Would we deflect quarreling by pointing others to Him?
Lord, fix my longings and satisfaction on You, and help me point others to Your goodness and grace.
As the rain and snow 