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Remaining Watchful for Jesus’ Return
Daily Bible Reading – 2 Samuel 13, 14; Matthew 24
Today’s Key Passage – Matthew 24:36-51
Have you ever sold a house? If you have, you know that the process can be challenging, particularly when it comes to showing your house to perspective buyers. One of the ways you can go about this is to schedule an open house. Using this method, the homeowner can choose a date and time when buyers can come and look at the house at their own pace. An open house is a good option for many homeowners because it is a scheduled event. The owner has time to clean the house and make sure it looks its best. He or she can ensure that all of the furniture is in order, that the kids’ toys are put away, and that the closets are clean. Not all perspective buyers, however, view a home during an open house. More often than not, buyers view the house on their own schedule with the help of a real estate agent. When this happens, the homeowner can get very little warning that someone is coming to view the house, so they have to make sure the house is always in order. This is one of the things that make listing a house for sale so challenging, because you always have to be prepared for a buyer to walk in at any moment. In today’s key passage, we learn that Jesus return will occur in much the same way.
The disciples asked Jesus when he would return to the world at the end of the age. Like a homeowner scheduling an open house, the disciples wanted to know exactly when this event would occur so that they would be able to prepare. Jesus, however, would not give them an exact date or time for His return. Instead, he told them to remain watchful. Like an owner with a house on the market, Jesus wanted the disciples (and us) to always be prepared for His coming. Jesus reminded the disciples about how the world was in the days of Noah. People were living their lives and going about their normal routines never knowing that a great flood was coming to wash them all away. Noah, of course, knew all about the flood and he spent a great deal of time getting prepared. He built the ark and filled it with animals in preparation for God’s coming judgment, while everyone else lived their lives oblivious to the event until the rains actually started. When the rains did come, no one had any time to make any last minute preparations to try to save themselves. Because they had not prepared, they were lost to the flood. Likewise, when Jesus returns on that great day of judgment, no one will have any opportunity for last minute preparations. He will come “at an hour when you do not expect Him.” (Vs. 44)
People today still try to predict when Jesus will return, but the simple fact is that no one really knows for sure. Unlike the people in Noah’s day who had no idea that a flood was coming, though, we do know for a fact that Jesus will return. We know from Scripture that there will be a day of judgment for every person in this world. While we do not know when that will happen, we do know how to prepare. We can live every day as if it were “that day”. We can choose to turn to Him now. We can choose to follow Him now. We can choose to walk in His ways and live our lives for Him now. When we do that, we never have to be worried about being caught off-guard by His return. When we remain watchful every day, we will always be prepared.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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Healing Through Prayer
Daily Bible Reading – 1 Samuel 1,2; Psalm 66; 2 Corinthians 7
Today’s Key Passage – 1 Samuel 1:1-18
In today’s key passage, we read the story of a man named Elkanah who had two wives, Peninnah, who had children, and Hannah, who had no children. Three times a year, Elkanah and his wives would travel to the tabernacle in Shiloh to worship God and bring the required sacrifices to God, and each time Peninnah would insult Hannah because she was barren. Hannah would get so upset during these trips, that she would end up crying constantly and would not eat. Finally, during one of these trips, Hannah decided to pray. She made a vow to God that if He would give her a son, she would dedicate him to a life of service to God. The high priest Eli saw her praying and gave her encouragement. When she finished her conversation with Eli, this woman who was so upset that she would not eat, “went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.” (Vs. 18) In a matter of moments, Hannah went from feeling depressed and discouraged to feeling joyful. Eventually, God blessed her with a child, and she kept her promise to God to dedicate him to a life of service. (Vss. 27-28) In addition, God would later give Hannah five more children. (Vs. 2:21)
In this story, Hannah actually received two different types of healing through her prayer. She received a physical healing when her prayer was answered and God allowed her to conceive her first child. In addition, she received emotional healing when she was finished praying. It is important for us to note that she did not need to wait for her prayer to be answered in order to feel joy. Her emotional healing came about not by God working on her behalf and making her pregnant, but through her faith in God and through the encouragement she received from Eli. When she cried out to God in her desperate time, she was able to leave her problems with Him. Moreover, she received moral support from a fellow believer that further led to her emotional healing. So often, we have a tendency to hold on to our discouragement until the time comes when God answers our prayers, but we can receive emotional healing long before that ever happens. When we pray, we can take all of our problems to God and can LEAVE THEM at the cross of Jesus Christ. We do not have to hold onto our sadness, our anger, or our bitterness. When we have faith like Hannah, we can finish our prayer knowing that God has heard us. We can finish our prayer knowing that God is working in our best interest. We can finish our prayer with emotional healing.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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- 1 Samuel 1:8 (davidthefourth.wordpress.com)
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Victory Takes Time
Daily Bible Reading – Joshua 9-11; 1 Corinthians 6
Today’s Key Passage – Joshua 11:16-23
Today we read Joshua chapters 9, 10, and 11. For the last couple of weeks, it seems that all of our readings have been leading up to these three chapters. In these chapters, Joshua outlines all the rest of the battles that the Israelites won to take over the Promised Land. We knew this was coming. Moses talked about it. Joshua talked about it. While we read Deuteronomy, we knew that the entire time the Israelites were perched right on the edge of the Promised Land. Then we got into Joshua, and in the last couple of days, we have seen key victories in Jericho and Ai. Now, in these three chapters, the pace really picks up. In a single reading, we get to see the Israelites take over the rest of Canaan. Our key passage today provides us with a nice summary of the battles, and throughout the reading we are constantly reminded of one important point – every victory that the Israelites experienced was because God was on their side. In addition, there is another important point that is not really spelled out in the text. While it seems like the battles were won quickly and that the Israelites conquered the entire land over the course of a couple of days, a little research reveals that this is not the case. Even though it only takes a couple of pages for Joshua to tell us about all of the victories the Israelites were given in the Promised Land, these victories that seem to come so quickly actually took about seven years or so. You see, sometimes victory takes time.
Do you ever feel like you are not progressing in Christ fast enough? Do you ever wonder why you are not further along? Do you ever wonder why you still struggle with certain things? When we first give our lives to Christ, sometimes we think “the change” will happen for us instantaneously. We wrongly believe that we will wake up the next day and we will never sin again. We think that we will never have another evil thought or desire. Then when we stumble – when we do have an evil thought or desire or when we do sin – we feel discouraged. We wonder why we are not past all of this. We want a complete victory over sin. We want a complete victory over temptation. We want to find ourselves living in the spirit 100% of the time and never slipping back into living in the flesh. Basically, we want the quick fix. We want the immediate victory. We must realize, however, that victory is a process, and it takes time. Never underestimate the changes God has made in you, and never discount those changes just because you are not perfect. Sometimes we think of our walk with Christ as a journey with a finish line. We believe that at some point, we will finally “get there” and we will no longer have to struggle with anything. The fact is, though, there is no finish line – at least not here on earth. While we are living here in our temporary home, we will constantly be evolving. God will continually make changes in us and make us better. Do not rush God and do not allow yourself to get discouraged. Instead, praise God for the victories He has given you, pray expectantly for the victories He will hand you in the future, and always remember that complete victory takes time.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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The Defeated Enemy
Daily Bible Reading – Joshua 3-6; 1 Corinthians 4
Today’s Key Passage – Joshua 6:2-21
After 40 years of wandering around the desert, the Israelites finally crossed the Jordan and made it to the Promised Land. They knew, however, that this was not the end of the story. They knew that they were going to have to battle against the Amorites and the Canaanites (the two major groups living in Canaan at the time) to take over the land that God promised them. The first city they would attack would be Jericho. At the time, Jericho was to the Canaanites what Washington D.C. is for Americans today. It represented all of the military power and strength of the Canaanites, and was heavily fortified. At this point, you may be wondering why they would choose to fight the first battle against such a heavily fortified city, but the answer is really pretty simple. The Israelites did not choose this battle – God did. God chose to send the Israelites up against Jericho right off the bat and the Israelites merely followed His leading. God knew that conquering the city of Jericho would instill fear in all of the other Canaanites, so He chose to show His power there first.
Joshua was preparing for the battle in Jericho. He saw how fortified the city was, and he knew how powerful the army was, but Joshua was not afraid. He knew that God – the almighty powerful God who created all of the heavens and the earth – was with him. In Joshua 6:2 we read, “Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.’” Please notice here that God did not say, “I will deliver”. He said, “I have delivered”. The battle had not even begun, but God was already telling Joshua that he had won. Joshua was going into battle knowing that God had already defeated his enemy!
Imagine what it would be like to know that the enemy you were about to battle was already defeated. Imagine knowing that no matter what you did or what your enemy did, your enemy was still going to lose. Imagine knowing that in the end, you were going to be victorious no matter what. How would that make you feel? What kind of confidence would you have going into that battle? You would feel invincible, right? You can stop imagining now because I have some good news for you. The reality is, you do not have to imagine what it feels like to know that your enemy has already been defeated because your enemy HAS already been defeated. Your enemy and mine was defeated the day Jesus Christ died on the cross. See, when that event took place, something amazing happened. God demonstrated His power over death, and He demonstrated His power over Satan. On that day, Satan’s destruction became a foregone conclusion. On that day, God stopped saying “I will” and started saying “I have”.
No matter what you might be facing today, you can rest in the knowledge that your enemy has already been defeated. Sometimes things can look pretty bleak. We look around this world and we see so much evil. We see evil people prospering and we see good people being persecuted, and it can be easy to have a negative outlook and disposition. But the fact is, though evil might reign in the world for a time, that time will come to an end. The ultimate battle of good versus evil has already been decided, and if you are a follower of Christ, you are on the winning side. No matter what you do or what your enemy does, you cannot lose. Your eternal salvation is secure by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The next time you are going to battle against evil, do not be afraid. The next time the temptation to sin is so strong you think you cannot hold out, stand firm. Feel secure in the confidence that comes from knowing that you are battling a defeated enemy.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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Following God’s Guidance
Daily Bible Reading - Numbers 8,9; Acts 28
Today’s Key Passage - Numbers 9:15-23
If you are a follower of Christ, at some point in your life, you have most likely asked the following question – “What is God’s will for me?” You may have wondered, “How can I know what God wants me to do in this situation?” We all want to please God and we want to make sure we are following his direction, but sometimes it can be difficult to know what direction that might be. It would be nice to have a cloud to follow during the day and fire to follow at night, as that would leave little room for our own interpretation, but following God usually does not work that way for us. During times of frustration when we cannot seem to figure out which direction to go or how to proceed, we may even start to ask ourselves another question – “Does God still guide?”
Whether we know it or not; whether we believe it or not; whether we can understand it or not – God will be our guide. Psalm 48:14 says, “For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.” There are many places in the Bible when we can see this, but one of the best places is the story of the cloud and the fire. We saw how God used the pillar of cloud and fire in Exodus to get the Israelites safely out of Egypt, and we see it again in today’s key passage in Numbers. I think there are four lessons we can learn from it about how God leads his people.
The first lesson is that God’s guidance is revealed one step at a time. When the cloud lifted, the Israelites would go. When it moved, they would follow. When it stopped, they would stop. Sometimes they would stay in one place overnight and move again and other times they would stay in one place for a long time, but they always had to follow God on a day-to-day basis. One of the biggest problems we might have with discovering God’s will for us is that we want to see the whole picture. We want to know right now where God is leading us and which direction He is going to take us to get us there. Most of the time, however, even though God is fully aware of the complete plan He has for our lives, He does not simply provide us with that blueprint up front. He provides us a step today, and another step tomorrow until eventually we get to where He wants us to go.
The second lesson is that we must follow God’s guidance even when we do not understand it. If we truly want to follow God’s will for us, we have to move when He says to move and stay when He says to stay. In Numbers 9, we see that the cloud would often move suddenly and stop suddenly with seemingly no explanation or reason. Again, sometimes they would be in one place for a long time, and other times they would stop and set up camp only to find that they were heading out again the next morning. There are times in our lives when we think we really want to move on to something new, but God may be telling us to stay where we are. Likewise, there are times when we are comfortable and want to stay right where we are, but God is telling us to move on. God demands our obedience. When He says move, we move. When He says stay, we stay. We do this and we follow Him where He is leading because we love Him, even when we do not understand.
The third lesson we learn is that God’s methods for guiding us may change over time. During the day, the Israelites saw a cloud. That is what they needed to see to follow God. At night, it would have been difficult for them to see a cloud so instead God led them with a pillar of fire. While God never changed his guidance, He did change the method that He used to provide that guidance. We often get wrapped up in thinking that God only leads people in one way. We hear a story from a friend or a pastor about how God led them in a dream and we expect God to lead us in a dream, but God does not necessarily work that way. Just because He uses one method to guide one person does not mean He will use that same method to guide you. Maybe He will guide us in a dream or a vision, but He might also guide us through the Bible, advice from other believers, or inner convictions. Sometimes He might speak to us with a loud voice that is easy to hear, and other times it might be a whisper. The point is that God will lead you in exactly the way you need to be led.
The last lesson we learn from Numbers 9 is that God guides us as we stay close to Him. The cloud that led the Israelites was not simply a symbol – the cloud was God’s presence. When the cloud moved, if the people did not follow along with it they would be separated from God. Knowing the will of God is not a question of where we should go or what we should do. Those are important questions, but they are not the primary question. The primary question is this: Are you willing to follow God wherever He leads you? When we ask God what we should do, His response to us is “stay close to me”. When we ask God where we should go, His response to us is “follow me”. At the end of the passage in Numbers 9, we see this sentence, “At the LORD’s command they encamped, and at the LORD’s command they set out.” If we resolve to do the same thing, God will guide us. If God says stop, we will stop. If God says move, we will move. The secret to knowing God’s will for your life is really the secret of knowing God. The better we know Him and the closer we get to Him, the clearer His guidance will be for us. When we seek to know Him, to follow Him, and to put Him first in everything we do, all of our guidance questions will be answered. God is willing to guide you if you are willing to follow Him.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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Looking Forward to God’s Reign
Daily Bible Reading - Numbers 5,6; Psalm 22; Acts 26
Today’s Key Passage - Psalm 22:12-31
In Psalm 22, David was suffering through a great trial. Through his suffering, he was able to gain victory by knowing that the Father would protect him and deliver him. David knew that despite his current struggles, one day God would reign supreme in the world and that all of his problems would be over.
Hundreds of years later, Jesus Christ would also suffer through a great trial. Jesus would be encircled by a pack of villains, who would pierce His hands and feet. His bones would be on display and people would stare and gloat over Him. They would divide His clothes among them and cast lots for His garment. Through his suffering, he was also able to gain victory by knowing that His Father would protect him and deliver him. Jesus knew that despite His current struggles, one day He would reign supreme in the world and that all of His problems would be over. He knew that, “all the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations will bow down before Him, for dominion belongs to the LORD and he rules over the nations.”
Today, we will all suffer through times of great trials. We will all face times when we will feel as though we are encircled by a pack of villains. In these times of suffering, we can take solace knowing that as the children of God, our Father in Heaven will deliver us from evil and will protect us. We can all look forward to the day when Jesus returns to reign over everything. “For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.” (Matthew 16:27) When that day comes, all of our trials that seem so pressing today will be a distant memory. The house that we live in, the car that we drive, the phone that we carry, and the computer we use will mean nothing. Our moments of greatest despair and agony will seem like a speck of dust floating in the wind. We can rejoice today for the joy we will have tomorrow, and we can rest in the comfort of His love forever.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
If you like this post, please SHARE it with others to spread the Word of God.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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The Right Place at the Right Time
Daily Bible Reading - Leviticus 26,27; Acts 23
Today’s Key Passage - Acts 23:12-24
Some of the men from the Sanhedrin wanted to kill Paul. They viewed Paul as a threat, and they vowed not to eat or drink until Paul was dead. They came up with a plot against him, and planned to attack him while traveling to stand before the commander of the Roman army. But God had different plans in mind. God was watching over Paul and protecting him. Paul’s nephew heard about the plot to kill him because God put him in the right place at the right time. Paul’s nephew went to Paul to tell him about the plot to kill him, and Paul instructed his nephew to tell the commander what he had heard. When Paul’s nephew went to the commander, the commander could have dismissed the boy’s story, but instead God moved him to listen and to act. The commander came up with a plan to protect Paul and get him to Governor Felix and away from the threat.
Time and time again in the Bible we see that God has perfect timing. He knows when and where to act to produce the best results. We also see time and time again that God does a lot of things in the background that we do not even know about to protect us. Paul did not know about this plot against him and did not even know to be praying to God to thwart it, but God already knew. He knew to put Paul’s nephew in the right place at the right time to hear about the plot. God moved Paul’s nephew not to just sit on the information he had but to actually take it to Paul. God moved the commander to listen to Paul’s nephew and to move Paul out of harm’s way. God did all of this in the background without Paul even knowing what the outcome would be. In Jeremiah 29:11, we read, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God’s plans for us will not be thwarted. He will use His perfect timing and whatever means necessary to ensure we are fulfilling his ultimate plans for us, even when we are completely unaware that this is going on in the background. How many times has God moved in the background of your life and saved you from pain without you even knowing it? How many times has he placed people in exactly the right place at the right time for your benefit without you even having to ask? Never underestimate God’s love for you and all that He does to protect you, and always remember the words from Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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Today’s Defeat Is Tomorrow’s Victory
Daily Bible Reading - Exodus 28,29; Acts 7
Today’s Key Passage - Acts 7:44-60
The members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen had accused Stephen of blasphemy (the same charge against Jesus) and brought him before the Sanhedrin for trial. When the high priest asked Stephen if the charges against him were true, Stephen could have used his time to mount his own defense. Instead, Stephen used his time to recap Israel’s relationship with God. He spoke about the many times in Israel’s history in which God was faithful to his promises yet the people rejected God and His prophets, including the Messiah Jesus Christ. Even when faced with untrue charges against him, Stephen stood firm in his beliefs and spoke of his Lord to the very end when the religious leaders got so caught up in their anger that they stoned Stephen to death without even giving him a proper trial.
At first glance, Stephen’s stoning and death following his preaching about Jesus may appear to be a defeat. While it is true that no one in the council repented that day and came to Christ because of Stephen’s speech, there is fortunately more to this story. One of the people standing in the crowd that day listening to Stephen’s last words was a man named Saul. Saul, later called Paul, would eventually convert to Christianity after a miraculous encounter with the resurrected Jesus, and would go on to become the greatest missionary in history. While Paul’s conversion was not the direct result of Stephen’s speech, there is little doubt that Stephen’s sermon as well as his death must have had a profound effect on Paul.
When we share our faith with others, we may not always see immediate results. We all know that not everyone we talk to will come to Christ. Some people will hear our words and will immediately want to run to Him, while others will reject the message and harden their hearts toward God. There is a third group, though, who will hear our words and something will begin stirring in their hearts. It may take days, weeks, or even years and it may take other events to get them to the right place, but eventually these people will give their lives to Christ. These are the people we may never know about, and these victories of tomorrow may appear as defeats in the present. All God needs to work with is faith the size of a mustard seed in a person, and our call is the help plant that seed. When faced with what appears to be defeat while sharing your faith with others, do not be discouraged. You never know whom you are talking with in the present. That person who seems to dismiss you and reject Jesus today might just end up running to Him and turning others to Christ in the end.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
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The Problem-Free Christian Life
Daily Bible Reading - Exodus 23,24; Psalm 14; Acts 5
Today’s Key Passage - Acts 5:12-26
Peter and John had become a thorn in the side of the Sanhedrin. After being told not to preach anymore in Jesus name, they instead continued preaching, were arrested, and put in jail. However, an angel came to them, opened the jail, and let them out. The angel had specific instructions for Peter and John. They were told to go to the temple courts and preach the Gospel boldly. This action would cause them to be arrested again. After much debate about what to do about Peter and John, we find out later in the chapter that the Sanhedrin, “called the apostles in and had them flogged“. (Acts 5:40)
For some people, it may seem strange that the angel of God would give Peter and John directions that would ultimately lead to them being arrested and beaten. Sometimes people tend to think that if they obey God they will not have to face troubling times (such as imprisonment and flogging). Some people believe that following God will lead to a problem-free Christian life. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily the case. Sometimes following God’s instructions can cause us great pain. The pain we must bear might be physical, or it might be emotional, but it is pain nonetheless. While obeying God’s commands will ultimately lead to blessings for us, we must realize and accept that those blessings do not always come in this life. Sometimes listening to God and going where He tells us to go will cause this life to be filled with pain and suffering instead. I know what you might be thinking…that does not sound like a very attractive sales pitch for Christianity. It would be much easier to convince others to follow Jesus by telling them that conversion will make all of their problems go away and will provide them with that problem-free life that seems so elusive, but it would also be a lie. Fortunately, we can rest assured that God’s blessings will come, and the blessings will be more than we can ever imagine.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
To become a fan of The Daily Bible Plan’s Facebook Page, CLICK HERE.
To follow me on Twitter for inspirational tweets, click the follow button – Follow @kevin_griggs
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
Grumbling and Complaining
Daily Bible Reading - Exodus 14-16; Acts 2
Today’s Key Passage - Exodus 16:1-15
Before we get into today’s verse, I would like to take a second for a brief recap of what we have read about in the last few days. The Israelites spent 430 in Egypt praying for God to take them out of Egypt and back to the land of milk and honey. God rained down ten different plagues on the Egyptians to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, and while the plagues affected the Egyptians in numerous ways, the Israelites were completely unharmed. When the last of the ten plagues killed the firstborn of all the Egyptian people, Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Israelites leave Egypt. God sent a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and He was actively leading them during their entire journey thus far. After they had left, Pharaoh changed his mind and sent his army to attack the Israelites to bring them back to Egypt, but God placed the pillar of cloud between the Egyptians and the Israelites so that the Israelites would not be attacked. Then God parted the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to cross on dry land, but then made the sea come back together to destroy the Egyptian army. After all of this, the Israelites sang a quick song of praise to God, and then immediately started complaining because they were hungry. Is it just me, or does that just seem crazy?
It is easy for us to look back, of course, at the Israelites and see how foolish they were to complain about being hungry after God had done so much for them. Sadly, though, most of us have done the same thing. Each of us has been blessed by God in innumerable ways, yet how quick are we to complain when things do not go our way or when trouble finds us? When was the last time you complained about something? Maybe it was when you got home after picking up dinner and found that they got your order wrong. Maybe it was when you did not get the job you wanted or did not make the sale you wanted. Maybe it was something completely different. The point, though, is that we can spend a lot of time and energy complaining about the things that go wrong, and what does it get us? Usually our complaints make us feel miserable for a time until we eventually get over it and move on. What if instead of going through this cycle, each time something goes wrong and we feel like complaining we stopped and thanked God for all the things He HAS done for us. When the Israelites complained, Moses and Aaron explained that they were not grumbling against them, they were grumbling against God. When we complain, we are doing the same thing. Try to keep this in mind the next time the urge to complain comes up, and remember to praise God for His blessings instead.
During your Bible reading today, what “key passages” stood out to you? Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you about His Word today.
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today.
