Anglican Devotional 1 June 2022 – Stop Murmuring

The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 1 July 2022 – Stop Murmuring

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TOPIC: Stop Murmuring

READ: Exodus 16: 1-18 (NKJV)

1. And they journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt.
2. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
3. And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat [and] when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.
5. “And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”
6. Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening you shall know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt.
7. “And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD; for He hears your complaints against the LORD. But what [are] we, that you complain against us?”
8. Also Moses said, “[This shall be seen] when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the LORD hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what [are] we? Your complaints [are] not against us but against the LORD.”
9. Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘Come near before the LORD, for He has heard your complaints.’ “
10. Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
11. And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
12. “I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I [am] the LORD your God.’ “
13. So it was that quails came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp.
14. And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, [as] fine as frost on the ground.
15. So when the children 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, “This [is] the bread which the LORD has given you to eat.
16. “This is the thing which the LORD has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, [according to the] number of persons; let every man take for [those] who [are] in his tent.’ “
17. Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.
18. So when they measured [it] by omers, he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need.

THE MESSAGE:

To murmur is to complain or grumble about a particular unpleasant thing or situation of life. Today’s Bible reading is an account of a particular situation in the life of the Israelites during their journey in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. While in the wilderness, they murmured and complained about their new situation of life. They remembered how they ate bread and meat in Egypt. Little did they realize that their grumbling was not against Moses and Aaron but against the Lord of hosts, who led them out of Egypt with a strong and outstretched arm (Psalm 136: 10 -12).

The Lord heard their murmurings and proved to them that nothing was impossible for Him (Luke 1:37). In the wilderness, a place without hope of food, the Lord provided meat and bread for them to the point of satisfaction (verses 11-15). Brethren, we live in a world where nothing is permanent. Life and times change in line with the will of the Creator. There is time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). As Christians, we are expected to have faith in God no matter what we are going through. We must realise that tough times never last but tough people do. In all situations, let us cast our cares on Him because He cares for us (2 Peter 5:7).

Murmuring is an expression of unbelief and this will not reveal the supremacy of God over your life and situation. Instead of murmuring or complaining, take time to praise the Lord, count your blessings and name them one by one. You need not to murmur but trust in God from whom comes your help every day (Psalm 121:1ff).

PRAYER: Lord, give me grace to praise You, even when life situations are tough. Amen.