Murmurs in the Wilderness

But with many of them God was not well
pleased: for they were overthrown in
the wilderness.
Neither murmur ye, as some of
them also murmured, and were destroyed
of the destroyer.
I Corinthians 10:5,10

Most people have their favorite persons in Scripture. Of course, we all would agree that Jesus is our favorite along with God, the Father and the Holy Spirit. Beyond that, our opinions would probably vary. I have my favorites, but one man I admire greatly from the Old Testament is Moses. Career-wise, in my life, I was a social worker more than anything else. On a very, very small scale, compared to Moses, I often had to work with groups of people of all ages, just trying to get some kind of project accomplished. Some of those projects were difficult and it didn't take long for the complaining to begin. Amazingly, many of those complaints came from “mature” adults and not teens or younger children. All of the griping only served to slow things down and the bad attitudes caused stress on others to the point of some just walking away from what needed to be done.

The Israelites left Egypt for their promised land. They were on track to go straight to that promised land under the leadership of Moses. God had no intention for those folks to take so long getting there. Their wandering didn't happen until there was a certain sin among the people...that of complaining.

And when the people complained, it
displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it;
and His anger was kindled; and the fire of
the Lord burnt among them, and consumed
them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.
Numbers 11:1

Only when Moses prayed to the Lord for God's mercy was the fire quenched.

Even after that experience, the people griped, murmured and complained about everything...no water...no food. God, however, provided for their every need. They didn't want manna. Manna fell from the heavens on a daily basis. Water flowed from a rock. Even meat was provided for that ungrateful people. God's provision was always in place and functioning. Still, in their time in the wilderness, despite God's care, the murmuring continued so God stepped in to teach His chosen people a lesson.

We, too, can find ourselves in a wilderness of life. It may not be a place like the Israelites knew, but it seems like a wilderness, none-the-less. We can feel the same frustration and discontent as those folks felt so long ago. One of the main indicators of feeling like a wilderness wanderer is feeling trapped with the inability to escape from our wilderness, with no end to it all. For the Israelites, the trip was longer than anticipated, full of many inconveniences with 40 years added to it. I could think of several reasons for God judging their attitudes of ingratitude, but I was really surprised at His reason for bringing judgment on His people. They were punished for their murmuring...in our words...griping and complaining. I guess human nature has been a lot the same down through centuries of time.

The wilderness for us is rarely being in the middle of a hot, dry desert. The wilderness areas we find ourselves in take on entirely different characteristics. There are many places that can make up a wilderness for us. Our times in a wilderness are usually times of being very alone, not with hundreds or thousands of people like the Israelites were. So what might some of our wilderness experiences look like, where we find ourselves in survival mode:

*Stuck in a dead-end job
*Chronic or terminal illness
*Severe financial difficulties
*Divorce
*Child on drugs
*Close relative in hospice care
*Depression
*Consistent physical pain

You could probably add to that list depending on where you are at the present time. We have learned that God hates murmuring and complaining. What's wrong with our complaining every now and then?

*It reveals a lack of trust in God and His leadership in our lives
*Complaining keeps us focused on the wilderness problem
*Murmuring doesn't solve any problem
*Only to a certain point do people want to hear our complaints no matter our pain.
*Rest in the fact that nothing can touch our lives until it first filters through the fingers of God. He has everything in control even though it may not seem like it.

Books have been written on the wilderness experiences of people. There really isn't anything I can add to the writings of those authors. I only know what has helped me in such times.

*Know that in any circumstance, God will never leave you or forsake you.
*Even in the wilderness of life, there are practical lessons to be learned and we should take advantage of that time of learning.
*Spend extra time in God's Word even though you might now]t feel like it at the moment.
*Be a person of prayer. Our Father wants to hear from us...often.
*Take time to do something for someone else who is in their own desert experience. It helps to take one's mind off of their own problems.
*As hard as it may be, take time to be grateful to the Lord for His goodness.

In every thing give thanks: for this

is the will of God in Christ Jesus

concerning you.

I Thessalonians 5:18

Dear Father, I never want to disappoint You and don't want to so sin that You would have to bring judgment into my life. Thank You for Your unconditional love and direction in my life. Keep me from the sin of murmuring. I love You...In Jesus' precious name...Amen