WHERE IS GOD? a message

This message was preached on Sunday, June 14, 2009, at Grace Baptist Church in Westlake, OH. To hear audio of this message, go to www.gbcwestlake.org
I know, that even for me, as a Christian, and as a pastor, that there are times when it doesn't seem like God is at work. And yet, He is always working to do what needs to be done, in my life, for His glory. May you be strengthened and challenged with God's Word as you read this:


WHERE IS GOD?
Exodus 17

Please open your Bible to the 2nd book of the Bible, the book of Exodus, and find chapter 17. If you are using a Bible in front of you, it is page 59.

We have been making our way through the book of Exodus and tracking the experiences of the people of Israel, as they were released from 430 years in bondage to Egypt and let toward the promised land of God. To summarize what they have experienced since leaving Egypt:

In his book: “Why Christians Sin”, J. Kirk Johnston tells this story:
Roger Simms, hitchhiking his way home, would never forget the date—May 7th. His heavy suitcase made Roger tired. He was anxious to take off his army uniform once and for all. Flashing the hitchhiking sign to the oncoming car, he lost hope when he saw it was a black, sleek, new Cadillac. To his surprise the car stopped. The passenger door opened. He ran toward the car, tossed his suitcase in the back, and thanked the handsome, well-dressed man as he slid into the front seat. “Going home for keeps?” “Sure am,” Roger responded. “Well, you’re in luck if you’re going to Chicago.” “Not quite that far. Do you live in Chicago?” “I have a business there. My name is Hanover.”

After talking about many things, Roger, a Christian, felt a compulsion to witness to this fiftyish, apparently successful businessman about Christ. But he kept putting it off, till he realized he was just thirty minutes from his home. It was now or never. So, Roger cleared his throat, “Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk to you about something very important.” He then proceeded to explain the way of salvation, ultimately asking Mr. Hanover if he would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s astonishment the Cadillac pulled over to the side of the road. Roger thought he was going to be ejected from the car. But the businessman bowed his head and received Christ, then thanked Roger. “This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.”

Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own. Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business card Hanover had given him five years before. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises. A receptionist told him it was impossible to see Mr. Hanover, but he could see Mrs. Hanover. A little confused as to what was going on, he was ushered into a lovely office and found himself facing a keen-eyed woman in her fifties. She extended her hand. “You knew my husband?”
Roger told how her husband had given him a ride when hitchhiking home after the war. “Can you tell me when that was?” “It was May 7, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army.” “Anything special about that day?” Roger hesitated. Should he mention giving his witness? Since he had come so far, he might as well take the plunge. “Mrs. Hanover, I explained the gospel. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He gave his life to Christ that day.” Explosive sobs shook her body. Getting a grip on herself, she sobbed, “I had prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I believed God would save him.” “And,” said Roger, “Where is your husband, Mrs. Hanover?” “He’s dead,” she wept, struggling with words. “He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see—I thought God had not kept His promise.” Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, “I stopped living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!”

That pretty much sums up what has been happening with the people of Israel, God’s chosen people, in the last several chapters we have looked at in Exodus. God had proved Himself faithful, had kept all of His promises and had met their every need…many times through miraculous provision. And yet, whenever they would come into difficulty, whether it was a pursuing army, a dead end, or lack of food and water, they immediately and boldly complained. Yes, they complained against their God given leader; but their complaint was really against God Himself.

Like the woman in the opening story, she perceived that God had not kept His promise and was not at work. That perspective caused her to stop living for and trusting God. We tend to do the same thing. Our tough, challenging circumstances cause us, from our perspective, to think God has abandoned us, or perhaps, is not keeping His promises to us as Christians. This morning, in Exodus 17, we are going to hear Israel, once again, question God’s presence and promises; and once again, we will see the provision of God. Let’s consider what this means for us today. In chapter 16, the people were without food, they complained, and God, despite their complaining, provided quail and a new kind of bread: manna; which means: What is it? God was teaching them that He could always be trusted to meet their daily, basic needs. That brings us to:

Exodus 17:1 – “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.”

The Next Test: No water

Oh, great – here we go again. God had said that he would continue to test His people, concerning their faith and trust in Him. Can anyone take a wild guess as to how the people of God are going to respond to this new challenge, this test…finding no water? You guessed it – just like they did the last time there was no drinking water and what they did when they were hungry, without food:

Exodus 17:2 – “Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, Give us water to drink…

Israel Complained [continue in verse 2]

…And Moses said to them, Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?”

Moses:
· Confronted the people

Moses reminds the people who they are really challenging. Yes, it is natural to complain against a human leader, someone you can see and place the blame on. But, Moses was making it clear: they were complaining against and testing the LORD (Jehovah God) Himself. In Chapter 16, when they complained to Moses about not having food, he said:

Exodus 16:8 – “…your grumbling is not against us, but against the LORD.”

So, Moses confronted the people with their heart attitude. They were really testing God, when they complained about not having water. How is it that they were testing God? Well, consider this: In complaining about not having water, this is what they were really saying (according to the Bible):
· Even though God came through before, we are not sure we can trust Him now
· Our immediate needs and desires are more important than what God is trying to teach us
· We want God to do what we want Him to do when we want Him to do it.

Israel did…and we do it. When children complain against the parents that God has given them, they are really complaining against God. And when a spouse complains about the wife or husband God has given them, they are really complaining against God. And when we complain against any authority in any part of our lives, we are complaining against God. You might ask: wait a second Greg – what about those authorities that are making unwise and ungodly decisions?
Well, think about Pharoah in Egypt. God puts up rulers He wants, so that even if that causes His people some pain, it will result in their spiritual growth and God’s glory. You can apply this to any aspect of your life; and any leader God has given you. Israel had seen God do incredible things over and over and over again. So, when they came to the next challenge of no water, it should have been a no-brainer: Trust God. He has promised to meet our daily needs; and we can trust His promises.

Once Moses confronted the people, but they kept complaining:
Exodus 17:3 – “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 then turned his attention to the only one who could help:

Exodus 17:4 – “So Moses cried to the LORD, What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

Moses confronted the people, but he also:
· Cried out to God

Many a leader, when faced with grumbling and complaining people under his leadership, has come to God with the same question. What am I supposed to do with these people? In fact, in Moses’ case, he felt they were ready to stone and kill him, because they were unhappy with God not providing the water in their way and in their timing. You probably already know this, but even followers of Jesus Christ can sometimes get angry and complain about things they shouldn’t just because they don’t like the process God is taking them through. We all do it.

But, Moses did the right thing. He turned and cried out to God for an answer. And God gave it to him:

Exodus 17:5,6 – “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.”

We will come back, in your notes to the 3rd thing Moses did; but let’s first consider what God did in response to Moses’ cry for help:

God:
· Gave instructions

This would be a regular thing between God and His leaders and between He and His people. When there was a crisis of some kind, He would give them instructions: this is what I want you to do and how I want you to do it. God told Moses to go up on Horeb with the staff he had and to strike the rock with the staff. Once he did that, the promise was that water would come out of the rock. Unbelievable! All Moses had to do was follow His instructions. And that is exactly what Moses did. Come back up in your notes because we need to recognize this very important step:

Moses:
· Obeyed God’s instructions

And now back down to what God did. He didn’t just give instructions, but He followed through with His promise:

God:
· Provided water

No, they didn’t deserve it. But, God provided, once again, for their physical needs in His way and timing, proving Himself to be faithful and true. This didn’t end the story however, just because they received their water in a miraculous way. And we will see this throughout the experiences of the nation of Israel: they will have things to remind them of what had happened and what God had done. In this case:

SO WHAT? How did Israel, through their leader Moses, remember how they had failed their test?

Exodus 17:7 – “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?”

SO WHAT?
· They named the places (Meribah and Massah) to be reminded of their complaining and testing of God

Massah means to test and Meribah means to have contention. Every time someone would mention those names, it would be a teaching opportunity of how they had failed God’s test in those places; and what they needed to learn from them. SO WHAT for us?

SO WHAT?
· God will meet our physical needs in His time and way – Trust Him

That is a repeated application for us throughout these experiences with Israel. But, there is another one that would be very easy to miss. I want to give you the statement and then I want to explain it:

SO WHAT?
· God will meet our spiritual needs through Jesus Christ – Trust in Him.

Why in the world would I include this as application to the story of the water from the rock? Let me explain. The Apostle Paul, in the New Testament, references this story in this way:

I Corinthians 10:1-4 – “I want you to know, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea…and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

Did you catch that? Paul said that what happened with Israel in the wilderness was an example of a spiritual truth before Jesus was ever born on this Earth. And there is connection here to the water from the rock. It says “the Rock was Christ.” We, today, are to see a spiritual connection here to Jesus Christ, as the Rock that gives living water.
Susanna Petroysan heard her daughter’s pleas, but there was nothing she could do. She and four-year-old Gayaney were trapped beneath tons of collapsed concrete and steel. Beside them in the darkness lay the body of Susanna’s sister-in-law, Karine, one of the fifty-five thousand victims of the worst earthquake in the history of Armenia.
Susanna had gone to Karine’s house to try on a dress. It was December 7,1988, at 11:30 A.M. The quake hit at 11:41. She had just removed the dress and was clad in stockings and a slip when the fifth-floor apartment began to shake. Susanna grabbed her daughter but had taken only a few steps before the floor opened up and they tumbled in. Susanna, Gayaney, and Karine fell into the basement with the nine-story apartment house crumbling around them.
"Mommy, I need a drink. Please give me something."There was nothing for Susanna to give.She was trapped flat on her back. A concrete panel eighteen inches above her head and a crumpled water pipe above her shoulders kept her from standing. Feeling around in the darkness, she found a twenty-four-once jar of blackberry jam that had fallen into the basement. She gave the entire jar to her daughter to eat. It was gone by the second day.
"Mommy, I’m so thirsty." Susanna knew she would die, but she wanted her daughter to live. She found a dress, perhaps the one she had come to try on, and made a bed for Gayaney. Though it was bitter cold, she took off her stockings and wrapped them around the child to keep her warm.The two were trapped for eight days.Because of the darkness, Susanna lost track of time. Because of the cold, she lost the feeling in her fingers and toes. Because of her inability to move, she lost hope. "I was just waiting for death."
She began to hallucinate. Her thoughts wandered. A merciful sleep occasionally freed her from the horror of her entombment, but the sleep would be brief. Something always awakened her: the cold, the hunger, or most often the voice of her daughter. "Mommy, I’m thirsty."
At some point in that eternal night, Susanna had an idea. She remembered a television program about an explorer in the Arctic who was dying of thirst. His comrade slashed open his hand and gave his friend his blood.Her groping fingers, numb from the cold, found a piece of shattered glass. She sliced open her left index finger and gave it to her daughter to suck.The drops of blood weren’t enough. "Please Mommy, some more. Cut another finger." Susanna has no idea how many times she cut herself. She only knows that if she hadn’t, Gayaney would have died. Her blood was her daughter’s only hope.I know that is not an easy story to hear, but neither is the true story of Jesus Christ. 2,000 years ago, Jesus sacrificed Himself, was tortured and then crucified. He gave of His blood, so that it might become eternal, life sustaining water for those who would believe. It is not an easy story to accept, but it is how God decided to offer eternal life: through the brutal death, and the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Since the Bible connects these stories, I have to tell you: If you are done trying to live life on your own; or have realized that you cannot be good enough to get to God in Heaven on your own, you also can receive the living water through Jesus Christ. Jesus said that we must drink of His blood to be His children. He was speaking figuratively, spiritually, that we must fully accept Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives and the only way to God, in order to have eternal life. He then becomes our living water. Jesus said this to a woman with whom he was having a conversation about water:
John 4:13,14 – “Jesus said to her, Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
If you have any questions about how to receive that living water, please let us know. We would be happy to talk with you about it.
For the people of Israel, there in Exodus 17, there was a lingering question: It is here in your notes:
Question: Is the LORD among us or not?
They had received an answer through the provision of water, but they were about to have a new experience and the answer to this question would, once again, be loud and clear. There is no time, in the text to catch our breath, as we are taken to the very next test the Israelites faced:

Exodus 17:8 – “Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim.”

[Brian Enters down center aisle and comes up to platform]

Now, one of the pictures this passage is going to give us is of an important object in battle. In fact, it is going to be very significant. There is something I want you to think about as we look at this passage that has to do with war. We have a soldier here who is carrying a standard, a banner; and we are going to find out why.

[Brian stands on platform to answer questions. Greg uses White mic to give him]

You are obviously a soldier of some kind. Tell us what it is you are holding and what it means:

[Brian explains the banner]

And tell us, as it relates to many of history’s battles, about the importance and use of standards, of banners in battle:

[Brian explains the importance and use of banners]

Thanks soldier.
[Brain exits down center aisle]

In Old Testament times, people often did not have actual cloth flags but would just use a pole, or a staff as their banner, although Numbers 2:2 states that “The Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each man under his standard with the banners of his family.” Just like every country today has a flag, so too, the 12 tribes of Israel used banners to identify and rally the troops.

Next Test: Amalek attacks

This is the first time Israel was going to face an army in battle and the first time we meet the leader of Israel’s army, Joshua. And Moses, probably with instructions directly from God, gave the plan:

Exodus 17:9 – “So Moses said to Joshua, Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”

The Battle Plan: Fight against Amalek, while Moses holds the staff in the air
Ok. So, they were supposed to go ahead and fight against Amalek, and Moses would go up the hill and hold the staff.

Exodus 17:10 – “So Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.”

Moses takes his brother Aaron and then Hur up to the top of the hill with him, while Israel fought against Amalek, who came to battle with them. A few books after Exodus, we have a review of many of the things that happened to Israel over their 40 years in the wilderness, and sometimes we have more details. Look at:

Deuteronomy 25:17,18 – “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you came out of Egypt, how he attacked you on the way when you were faint and weary, and cut off your tail, those who were lagging behind you, and he did not fear God.”

So, we find out a little more here. Amalek came up from behind, getting in between some of the 2,000,000 Israelites that had fallen back in their travels and they cut them off. Amalek was on the attack and we are told why: they did not fear God. So, why shouldn’t they attack these people that seemed terribly unarmed and that were headed for their land? So, what happened?

Exodus 17:11 – “Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed.”

So, get this picture: Israel is fighting, and when Moses had his staff held high, Israel was winning; but if he let it down, Israel would begin losing. This was how God decided this battle would be fought. If Moses held up his staff, Israel would win. But, like with any human leader, Moses got tired:

Exodus 17:12 – “But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”

Aaron and Hur gave Moses something to sit on, once he got tired, and placing themselves on either side of him, they held his hands up until the sun went down and the battle was over. And what was the result of the battle?

Exodus 17:13 – “And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.”

The Battle Result: God gave Israel victory and a promise

They followed God’s instructions and He gave them the victory. If they tried to do it in their strength, without following God’s instructions, they would have been defeated. It was God they could rely on and trust in. He also gave them a promise about this enemy of theirs and God: Amalek.
Exodus 17:14 – “Then the LORD said to Moses, Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

God was going to completely wipe out Amalek. We are told, in Deuteronomy, a little more of why and when. Speaking of Amalek:

Deuteronomy 25:18,19 – “…he did not fear God. Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.”

This was to be something the people of Israel would remember. Those groups of people, just like Egypt, who decided to oppose God by opposing them, would be dealt with harshly by God. He would protect His people and fulfill His promises. This great victory, given by God, caused Israel to do something in memory of it.

Exodus 17:15,16 – “And Moses built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD is my Banner, saying, A hand upon the throne of the LORD! The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

SO WHAT?
· An altar was built and called: “The LORD is my Banner.”

This brings us back to what we saw earlier. When Moses lifted up his hand with the staff to the throne of God, they had victory over Amalek; and God would give them victory and even use them to wipe out Amalek in the future. So, in building an altar, a place of remembrance, Moses called it: “The LORD is my Banner.” You see, the banner in a war was a very significant thing.

The standard bearer was an important part of the battle before the invention of radios and satellites. He was the one who led the charge. Amazingly, he went into battle unarmed. If the standard bearer was wounded, the nearest man would drop what he was doing to pick up the flag, partly out of respect, but more importantly because it was the focal point of the troops. Without the banner to lead the way, the battle often fell into disarray.

So, for Israel, they were to remember that God was their banner. He was the one they would follow into battle. He was the one they were to keep their eyes on. He was the one they would get their directions from. He was the one they would identify themselves with. We will get back to the final SO WHAT that has to do with us, but first let’s give the answer that Moses gives here, to the question asked earlier: Is the LORD among us or not?

The Answer: The LORD is my banner

During World War II, a passenger ship set sail from Great Britain headed for port in New York City. The Captain of the ship being afraid of enemy vessels, sought the advice and guidance of the British Admiral. The Admiral calmly assured the captain that no matter what happens, he should be sure to sail his ship straight ahead. "Do not take any detours -- sail the ship straight ahead -- continue on-ward, heading straight towards the intended mark;" he said.After several days of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean which was undeniably filled with submarines and enemy vessels of all kinds, the Captain spotted an enemy destroyer off his forward bow. Nervously he grasped the handset and called for assistance. The calm voice replied, "Keep on Straight, Do not Detour, just sail the ship straight ahead. Everything will be just fine. Just keep on going - straight ahead."After a couple more days the ship pulled safely into the great harbor of New York city. Shortly after docking the great British battleship "Man-of-War" pulled into port behind the passenger vessel. The Captain realized that while he did not see the British Battleship, she was there, standing bye. Standing ready to come to his defense should it prove necessary.That is how God is with us. We may not always see Him, but He is there. When we are tempted to ask: Is the LORD among us or not, we can be assured that He is there, at work, to do what needs to be done in our lives, for His glory. The LORD is our banner just like He was Israel’s. That means for us things like:
· We need to keep our focus on Him instead of our enemy or difficult circumstances
· We need to follow His instructions even if they do not always make sense. There are some things in the Bible that just don’t make sense to me; but that is not the most important thing – to understand it all and agree with it all. The important thing is that God is my banner, and I will do what He says, regardless of my feelings toward it.

SO WHAT?
· Follow God, wherever He leads, keeping your eyes on Him.
This is what they did in battle, following the standard, the banner, for a sense of purpose and unity. They would be fighting under a particular flag and for country. In our case, we are to set aside our fleshly desires for control, and rally around our banner, the LORD Jesus Christ, who will guide us in our daily battles.

8 YEARS OF WEDDED BLISS...8 out of 15 ain't bad!

Happy 15th Anniversary babe!
Yes, today (Thursday, June 18th), as I write this, we are ready to celebrate 15 years of marriage. The 8 years of wedded bliss thing…just a joke. Not sure there has been that many! Just joking…again. The fact is: we have gotten over trying to pretend that marriage is easy, or that even a marriage between committed Christians, or even one of a pastor and his wife, is somehow a smooth journey, with no speed bumps or potholes.

In reality, Teresa and I have experienced some pretty drastic up and downs and curves, roller coaster types of experiences, over these 15 years. By God’s grace, we are still wholeheartedly committed to one another. As a child of God, I am constantly battling with my old nature and losing the battle pretty often. And unfortunately, one of the people who takes the constant brunt of my sins, is my wonderful wife, Teresa…bummer for her!

It is not that I want to sin against her, but that I am a sinner, saved by grace, but still struggling. Until I go home to be with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, this will be the reality. It is not an excuse for my sins, but a biblical explanation for them. And for me, as a Christian and pastor, I put my hope in the fact that God’s Word is true, and that it is this way, regardless of my human efforts to be the perfect husband.

Enough for the dim reality. Let me say, to all 3 of you who read this blog…Teresa is the greatest, most beautiful, most awesome woman in the world (sorry mom)! Yes, I can get frustrated with her (only 3 or 4 or 20 times a day-my problem, not hers), but I wouldn’t trade her for anything or anyone. She is the incredible gift of God, just to me, and no one else. Although I don’t always express this to her very well, she is, outside of salvation, God’s greatest gift to me.

She is my one and only lover, a great mom to our 5 children, and my best friend. She is my wife, and over these 15 years, has been growing, in God’s grace, to be more godly and beautiful, than she was when I first met her in 1986 and got to know her in 1990. We went on our first date on April 23rd of 1992, were engaged on September 25th of 1993; and were married June 18, 1994.

We have had some incredibly blessed experiences together over these 15 years. We have lived in Connecticut, Florida, Iowa and, now, Ohio. We have been pastor and wife in each of those States, and have greatly enjoyed our ministry experiences. Even the very difficult ones have had an incredible impact on our spiritual growth and bond in marriage. We are praying that this present ministry at Grace Baptist Church in Westlake, Ohio, will be our last one, meaning that we would serve for many, many years to come. We love Ohio, but are especially grateful for the people we know as our church family.

God has blessed us with 5 amazing children, and has given us the challenging privilege of bringing them up in God’s ways. We fail all the time, but at least we are failing and trying and praying, together. We know we will never be rich, in our line of work, but we are already incredibly rich in more important ways. Teresa has never been led by God to be a career woman, or to make more money so that our standard of living can be higher. Her greatest desire is to support me, to help raise our children, and to use our home as a place of rest, comfort and love, not only for our family, but for every guest that graces our home. I love that about her!

There are so many other things I could say about my wife, but for the purposes of this blog entry, I had better quit. Since I know you are one of the three reading this Teresa, let me say one more thing to you….(the rest of you can log off now-yes, that means you mom, and dad)…

I LOVE YOU…more than you will ever know!

Your devoted (albeit incredibly stupid sometimes) husband,
Greg

THE FAMILY THAT PLAYS TOGETHER................

I can only complete that phrase based on our most recent family soccer game.

The Family that plays together...

• takes forever getting ready to go out of the house, in order to play
• has to think ahead to how tired and cranky everyone might be after the game and be prepared
• must bring enough water, snacks or money for a treat afterward
• pushes the brother/sister aside to get to that all important soccer ball
• cries if they are not getting passed to often enough
• spends more time arguing about what the teams should be than actually playing the game
• has a lot of bumps and bruises to show for it!

I'm not sure that is how the phrase is supposed to be completed; but this is probably only true of my family. I will say this: I wouldn't give up our family soccer games for anything! In between the crying, yelling, pushing and scratching, I hear the laughter, see the smiles, the little accomplishments, the attempts at teamwork, and the exhaustion that comes from running non-stop for a couple hours. I am glad God placed me in this family, with all of our imperfections and struggles. We probably won't be competing for the world cup anytime soon; but I can almost guarantee we are going to have a lot of fun together the next time we walk on the field (or limp on, in my case!)

LONG......................and...................BORING

This phrase has been used for many things, I am sure. It might be used to describe a book someone read, a movie someone saw, a project or meeting somene participated in. I imagine there are hundreds of life's circumstances in which this phrase might be used. And you can probably think of a way, that if this phrase was used to describe something you did or had leadership in, it might hurt that it was said. For example, if you led a meeting, and people were saying this phrase afterward, it might sting. If you spent a special weekend with your family,sacrificing other things, so that you could be with them...and you heard family members respond with this phrase, that might cut deep. Can you think of some way that this phrase might affect you? If so, then perhaps you will understand.

If I encourage someone to read a book and they use this phrase (long and boring) to describe it, I might be disappointed, but certainly not discouraged or hurt. But, the way I heard it used within the last 24 hours is something I can't get out of my head, and I'm not exactly sure what to do about it. Are you wondering how this phrase was used? Let me paraphrase:

Your preaching is LONG...........................................and.......................................................BORING!

Ouch! Now, maybe you don't know why this would hurt. It would be like this: If you were a cook and your customers said: "your cooking is bland and fattening." This would probably hurt alot, especially if it was your intention to cook exciting and healthy meals! So, when a pastor, someone who preaches for a living, hears this phrase, the best way to describe the impact is....OUCH. I'm not trying to get sympathy here; but share my personal and varying experiences as a pastor. And I love what I do, by the way. I would't want to do anything different. And maybe it wouldn't have hurt so much, if I didn't also hear, within the same 24 hour period that people are saying (and I parphrase again): "I'm not getting anything out of his messages".........DOUBLE OUCH!

So, there you have it. What am I going to do about it? I will reflect, think, meditate, pray..............
and then do the very best I can to honor God with my preaching. And, if it doesn't improve, maybe I can learn.......................................................................................................................to cook?

And, for the expressed purpose of not allowing this phrase, and blog entry title, to be used to describe this particular blog entry: I'm done!

WHATS FOR DINNER?

This message was preached at Grace Baptist Church on Sunday, June 7, 2009. It can be heard on-line at www.gbcwestlake.org This is the chapter in Exodus that deals with Manna. I wasn't quite sure where it would lead us, in terms of application; but I know for me, this chapter challenged my view of my real needs. Sometimes, I take things for granted, rather than just being thankful for how God meets my daily needs, and am not as content with what I do have. I was challenged to give thanks, every day, for what God has given us, and for the greatest provision He has given for our daily needs: Himself.

WHAT’S FOR DINNER?
Exodus 16

Please open your Bible to the 2nd book of the Bible, the book of Exodus, and chapter 16…Exodus 16.

[SOUND: What you are about to hear is a test. It is not a test of the emergency broadcast system, but it will sound like one. This is a test. It is a test of your patience and endurance of annoying sounds. Are you ready for your test? [the long beep- normal length as in a regular emergency broadcast test]. This was not a test of the emergency broadcast system; but a test of your patience and endurance of annoying sounds. How did you do on this test?]

Don’t you hate that noise? Every time it comes over radio, it bothers me…even though I know it is necessary and potentially life hugely beneficial in the future. Tests like that are pretty annoying aren’t they? We would rather just wait for the real thing, than to be tested over and over and over again, which seems to interrupt real living. Well, the people of Israel, newly released from bondage in Egypt, were being put through a series of tests, by their God and their redeemer, The LORD (Jehovah). But these tests were all real, and were given by God to see exactly where the hearts of His people were. Were they completely trusting in God, or only when it was convenient? Were they willing to follow Him wholeheartedly, or only when it fit in with their plans? Those are the same types of questions we must answer, as it relates to our relationship with God.

We are going to read several passages of Scripture that are not in Exodus 16 this morning. When you see words or phrases in these verses that are bold and set apart, would you please read those words or phrases out loud, in unison?
Tests are not easy, and the people of Israel were finding that out very quickly. After God released them from 400 years of bondage in Egypt, He led them to the Red Sea, where they would be trapped by the pursuing Egyptian army. They were tested, to see whether or not they would trust in the God that just delivered them. What did they do?
Exodus 14:11,12 – “They said to Moses, Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
They complained. But then God delivered them miraculously, dividing the Red Sea, allowing them to cross on dry ground, and bringing the waters back on the Egyptian army, so that they all drowned. They responded with songs of praise, which is what the first 21 verses of Exodus 15 are all about. However, a few days later, they went into a wilderness area, where there was no water. Once they found water, it was undrinkable. And the people of God were tested again. How did they do this time, just a few days after singing praises to God?

Exodus 15:24 – “And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?”

Regardless of their grumbling, God answered the prayers of Moses and directed him to throw a log into the waters, that then made it drinkable again. God delivered His unworthy people, once again. It was there that God said He would continue to test them based on what He had laid down for them to live by:

Exodus 15:25,26 – “…there the LORD made for them a statue and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statues, I will put no one of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

Although they are going to keep moving forward, God is going to keep teaching them what they need to learn. The same is true for us; and as I have mentioned to you almost every week of our study in Exodus, we have these stories so that we can also learn and grow in our relationship with God:

II Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

This morning Exodus is going to talk about food we know nothing about; but the important lessons for our lives are right here, in the experiences of the people of God thousands of years ago. And the first lesson we learn is this:

1. Expect to be tested

It wasn’t long after God provided water for the people of Israel, when He decided it was time for another test. And that brings us up to date, and ready for:

Exodus 16:1-3 – “They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt.
And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Only gone for a month from Egypt, they remembered the food they were able to eat there; and now, without food in sight, they said they would rather have been killed in Egypt – at least they would have full stomachs. What they failed to remember is the slave labor and beatings and harsh conditions they endured, the very circumstances they cried out to God to deliver them from. We talked about the grumbling and complaining quite a bit last week.

What I would like for you to focus on is that fact that God continued to test His people, to see whether or not they were going to follow through with the praise and the commitments they made when things were going well. I don’t pretend to know exactly what was going on the minds of the people of Israel at that time. We can make some guesses based on their actions and comments. But one thing stands out to me about what we should learn from this (outside of the whole grumbling and complaining topic from last week).

We should expect trials and tests to come into our lives, just like the people of Israel experienced. Just because they were redeemed from bondage did not keep God from allowing them to run right into the Red Sea conflict and seeming trap. Just because He delivered them from the Red Sea, it didn’t mean they would face the next tests of thirst and hunger. You see: this wasn’t about personal freedom and comfort. When God tested them, it didn’t mean they had necessarily done anything wrong. It meant that God was doing what was necessary to grow their faith and trust in Him. Trials and tests are all about spiritual growth. Want proof?

James 1:2-4 – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

I Peter 1:6,7 – “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith – more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire – may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

You should expect tests and trials. You should expect that there will be difficult days. Why? Because God is not all about your comfort but about your spiritual growth. And like it or not, we grow the most through pain and difficult circumstances. I like the sub-title of one of my favorite books on marriage, and I highly recommend it to all married couples: Sacred Marriage is the title. But here is the sub-title: What if God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy? That is a great question for you to meditate on sometime. I think it is true; and that idea applies to every aspect of our lives. I have included information about this book, on the back of your outline, in case you would like to get it for yourself.

So, don’t dwell on the natural questions we have when tough things happen, such as: Why God? God, when are you going to get me out of this mess? Who can I blame for this mess? Instead, expect these things to happen, and respond, knowing that God, who makes no mistakes, and is in complete control, is allowing this so that your faith will be tested, and you will grow in your walk with Him. Believe it or not, that can even allow you to have the responses of peace and joy, even in the midst of trials and testing.

At the beginning of a new year, a high school principal decided to post his teachers’ new year’s resolutions on the bulletin board. As the teachers gathered around the bulletin board, a great commotion started. One of the teachers was complaining. "Why weren’t my resolutions posted?" She was throwing such a temper tantrum that the principal hurried to his office to see if he had overlooked her resolutions. Sure enough, he had mislaid them on his desk. As he read her resolutions he was astounded. This teacher’s first resolution was not to let little things upset her in the New Year. So much for that resolution! How easy is it, for us, to forget our commitments, as soon as we face another test or trial.

Next lesson we can learn from Israel’s experience here:

2. Trust God to meet your daily needs

Exodus 16:4,5 – “Then the LORD said to Moses, Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”

No, the people didn’t deserve food, since they had been complaining so much. But, God is faithful, as we have already seen, and He was, in His own way and time, going to provide their basic needs. But, as you see here, God was doing this as a way to test their faith. The responsibilities He was about to give them, in providing for their needs, would test their commitment. In these verses, we see how and why God was going to meet their needs and meets our as well. And the first thing to recognize here, is that:

· God made a promise

God has also made us a promise, not to give us everything we want, but to give us everything we truly need. In the context of having the basic needs to live, the Apostle Paul said this about God’s promise:

Philippians 4:19 – “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

And what is the real reason for all of this? Is it for my comfort? No, but for God’s glory. The very next verse in Philippians 4 connects this idea, when it says:

Philippians 4:20 – “To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Moses and Aaron announced to the people of what God was going to do and the promise that He had made to meet their food needs. They also talk about the connection to God’s glory.

Exodus 16:6-8 – “So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, At evening you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For what are we, that you grumble against us? And Moses said, When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat 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.”

We talked about the grumbling aspect last week. If you want to consider that topic in more detail, get the CD or get on our website to listen to the message from May 31st: How Soon We Forget. They were grumbling in their hearts, against God, but directed it outwardly toward God’s leader, Moses. But, God still responded, as he shows up, to display His glory. And the way He was going to display His glory, was to miraculously meet their need of daily food. That is the next aspect mentioned in your notes:

· God shows His glory

Exodus 16:9-12 – “Then Moses said to Aaron, Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling. And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD said to Moses, I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, At twilight you shall eat meat, in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.”

All along, this has been about the people of God getting to know their LORD (Jehovah God), who keeps all of His promises, and wants a special relationship with His people. He was going to provide for them in an incredible way, because they were to know that He was the faithful God, that not only kept His promises for the nation of Israel, but to every one of them personally. They were to be focusing on the glory of God instead of their own desires for food. They were to understand that:

· God was faithful

Exodus 16:13-15 – “In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people 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, it is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.”

We have just a passing mention of the quail, which provided the meat for the Israelites. But, it is still important to note that God’s faithfulness provided the meat they needed for strength. They had seen quail before. But, what appeared in the morning, described here as “ a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground, was something they had never seen before. In fact, the word “manna”, which it was soon called comes from the question they asked; and it is the natural question when food is set out in front of you that you haven’t seen before: “What is it”? that is what they asked; and that is what Manna means. Pretty appropriate, don’t you think?

Verse 31 tells us:
Exodus 16:31 – “Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.”

Every morning, they saw the faithfulness of God, as they came out of their tents, and gathered the provision for their needs that day. The Bible talks often about this experience of Israel, to focus on the faithfulness of God. Think about:

Psalm 78:22-25 – “Because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power. Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and he rained down on them manna to eat and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance.”

This was the provision of God, food from Heaven, the bread of angels, the Psalmist calls it. “He sent them food in abundance.” Take a look at this picture.

PICTURE: “Grace” – The old man praying over his bread

Are you familiar with this picture? [An old man bowed in prayer over a piece of bread and a bowl of soup.] The title of the painting is Grace, and was done in 1918. You will find it hanging in many Christian homes as a reminder to be thankful for our daily bread. I recently read a story of the possible context for this painting.

In a town in northern Minnesota, an old, homeless man knocked on the door of, a struggling artist, Eric Enstrom, and begged for food to eat. Eric was about to sit down to a simple lunch of soup and bread. He invited the old man into share what he had. As he was getting something from the refrigerator, he turned back and saw the old man bow his head in prayer and thanksgiving. This picture of simple contentment and thanksgiving was frozen in his mind, and he painted what he saw. This is the faith of a man, who knew where his daily bread came from. He praised God for His faithfulness in providing it. This is what God was teaching His people. This is why, when His disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, He included this: Please say it out loud with me:

Matthew 6:11 – “Give us this day our daily bread.”

When was the last time you just thanked God, sincerely thanked Him, for what you have, rather than grumbled about what you don’t have? This manna was the food that had no name, just known by a question: What is it? This was a generic food that simply met their daily needs. The next lesson to learn:
3. Follow God’s instructions

Exodus 16:16 – “This is what the LORD has commanded: Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.”

· Get enough for your needs

They were to each take an omer, or about 2 quarts worth, depending on how many people in their family and tent. This was not just an amount so they wouldn’t starve, but enough to be full. It wasn’t an amount that was too much; but they were to gather what they truly needed. At this time, they were going to be living very simply; and God was going to provide just enough for what they needed. But, it was their responsibility to work, to gather it, and to gather the right amount.

Exodus 16:17,18 – “And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat.”

Those who needed more, took more but had nothing left over once the family ate it. Those who needed less had no lack of food. They took what was needed. That was God’s provision. And His next instruction was this:

· Use God’s resources and trust Him

Exodus 16:19-21 – “And Moses said to them, Let no one leave any of it over till the morning. But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.”

This does not mean you should waste what you have, or that you shouldn’t save. But, God was trying to teach them something. They were to use up what He had given them, because He had given them enough for their needs. They were not to save any of it overnight, so that they could have security; because God wanted to be their security. If they did save some for the morning, it was full of worms, stunk, and was inedible.

There is something to be said for learning to depend on God daily, rather than having so much that we don’t need to depend on Him for a while. Again, nothing wrong with saving, in fact it is a wise thing; but God sometimes puts in situations where we have no choice but to daily pray and wait for His provision. Of course, outside of the food issue, we do need Him every day, to help us live the way we ought.

One of Rabbi Ben Jochai’s pupils once asked him, Why did not the Lord furnish enough manna to Israel for a year, all at one time? The teacher said, I will answer you with a parable. Once there was a king who had a son to whom he gave a yearly allowance, paying him the entire sum on the fixed date. It soon happened that the day on which the allowance was due was the only day of the year when the father ever saw his son. So the king changed his plan and gave his son day by day that which was sufficient for the day; and then the son visited his father every morning. How he needed his father’ unbroken love, companionship, wisdom, and giving! This God dealt with Israel and deals with us in our daily walk.”

Isaiah 33:2: - “O LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of trouble.”

The next part of the instructions are helpful to us as well:

· Rest in honor of the LORD

Exodus 16:22-24 – “On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, he said to them, This is what the LORD has commanded: Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning. So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it.”

Again there was a trust factor here…trust that God would keep His promise, that unlike all the other days of the week, the bread would not go bad on the Sabbath; and that their needs would be met even though they did not work on that day.

Exodus 16:25,26 – “Moses said, Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

So, Saturday was to be the day of rest. We will see more of this and the reasoning for it, when we get to the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. But for now, all they needed to know was that God commanded them to dedicate the 7th day of the week to Him; and in order to do so, they were to gather twice as much food on the 6th day, so that their needs were met on the 7th day. And as we already read, if they left food to the morning, it would be ruined; but not on the 7th day. If they obeyed and gathered twice as much on the 6th day (which meant God also provided twice as much on that day), then it would not be ruined the next day, and they would have plenty to eat – just more miracles of God!

Exodus 16:27-30 – “On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. And the LORD said to Moses, How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day.”

Of course, there were people that just simply did not follow the rules, and showed a heart of disbelief and rebellion. They went out to gather food on the Sabbath Day anyway, and didn’t find any. And this brought a response from God Himself, saying that they (the ones who did this) had failed the test of faith, by not following the rules God set down. And He repeated it: There were 6 days to gather bread, but on the 7th day, they were not to go out to work – just rest in honor of God.

Ten years ago, USA Today reported that the Department of Transportation had set aside $200 million for research and testing of an Automated Highway System. The idea is that engineers could relieve traffic congestion with a new “super cruise control” built into our highways. In cities facing heavy traffic congestion special magnets would be embedded in the road every four feet which would transfer signals between the cars and the D.O.T.’s computer system. Everything from steering, acceleration, and braking would be controlled by sensors, computer navigation systems, and cameras along the side of the road. Control would be returned to drivers as they left at specified exits. Researchers and government officials claim they have the capability to address any potential technological problem. But there is one problem they cannot overcome. Mike Doble, Buick technology manager says, “The only thing we can’t do yet is get people to comfortably trust the system. It’s not a technology issue.” People feel out of control while driving closely spaced, at high speeds, through major cities. The problem is not technology, the problem is trust — very few people would be willing to give up that kind of control.

It is a control issue. It is what the people of Israel struggled with. God had made His promises and the people had seen God provide over and over and over again, in miraculous ways. And yet, they continued to test God, to break His rules, and try to be in control themselves. If they just would have humbly followed Him and trusted Him, their needs were going to be met; and they would be given much more. The same test is present for us. God has given us His Word and gives us the provision and direction we need each day. We have to decide who is going to be in control of our lives: us, or God. Giving up control is the hardest things to do; but it is exactly what God is asking of us:

Proverbs 3:5,6 – “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Finally:
4. Remember God’s provision

Exodus 16:31-36 – “Now the house of Israel called its name manna. It was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Moses said, This is what the LORD has commanded: Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt. And Moses said to Aaron, Take a jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the testimony to be kept. The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan. An omer is the tenth part of an ephah.)”

We will see, in chapters to come, that God instructs Israel to build a tabernacle, which serves as a dwelling place for God place of corporate worship. Within that dwelling was a special compartment, called the Holy of Holies, where the presence of God was said to be and where the ark of the covenant was kept. Here, also, would be a reminder of what God had done, in providing for the basic, daily needs of the Israelites:

Hebrews 9:3,4 – “Behind the second curtain was a second section called the Most Holy Place, having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.”

The basic idea, here, was that they were to carry a couple quarts of Manna with them, throughout their wilderness wanderings, so that they would never forget what God had done for them. There are many things which we also should remember, as it relates to what God has done for us. And the most important thing goes all the way back to God sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem us from spiritual bondage. There is a connection with the story of the Bread from Heaven, Manna, and what Jesus did for us. When people were questioning who Jesus was and asked Him to perform miracles to prove it:

John 6:29-36 – “Jesus answered them, This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. So they said to him, Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Jesus then said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. They said to him, Sir, give us this bread always. Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.”

Jesus said: I am the bread of life. Instead of giving you Manna, I am giving you myself. And if you believe in Me, you will not just have physical fulfillment through food; but you will have spiritual, eternal fulfillment and satisfaction with God. You see: Jesus came to release us from the bondage of sin, if we are willing to believe that with all of our hearts. If we are willing to trust in Jesus alone for our salvation, accepting all that He has commit to following Him, we are saved in order to live for His glory the rest of our days. If you have any questions or doubts about that, please feel free to see me after the service today, or contact us for more information.

If you already have that relationship, one of the things you may want to consider, is the daily provision God gives you, in order to live your life for His glory: It is the Word of God, the Bible. If you don’t already read it regularly, can I give you a challenge? Every day this week, read the Word of God and ask God to help you learn and apply what you read. I have given you a sample reading schedule for the week, on the back of your outline. It is the same one on my blog. Or, you can certainly choose what you would like to read. The important part is taking time each day to get the spiritual nourishment you need to face the challenges and temptations of every day.

What has God been trying to teach you today? Are you willing to think about it and do something about it? If God moves you to make a change or commitment, are you willing? Let’s stand together. In a few moments, we will respond to God with some closing songs of praise. I encourage you to sing out. But, for now, silently pray and talk to God about your response to His Word today.

Let’s Pray.

HOW SOON WE FORGET

This message was preached at Grace Baptist Church in Westlake, OH on Sunday, May 31, 2009.
Normally, we cover major sections of a chapter, or a chapter or more on any given message. But, in this case, I chose to cover just 6 verses, because they really summarize the cycle that the people of Israel went through in their relationship with God. And it is seen clearly in this passage, as well as the surroundin chapters. But, it also is a good summary of what we all go through in our Christian journey as well. I trust this will be a challenge to you, to evaluate your attitude, as it has been for me, as I prepared and presented this message. The video: The Complaint Zapper, can be seen at www. sermonspice.com and by looking up the title: Shockingly Negative. It is a great video. I recommend you take the time to check it out.


HOW SOON WE FORGET
Exodus 15:22-27

Please turn in your Bible to the 2nd book of the Bible, the book of Exodus, and chapter 15…Exodus 15.

It was the end of the school year, and a kindergarten teacher was receiving gifts from her pupils. The florist’s son handed her a gift. She shook it, held it overhead, and said, "I bet I know what it is. Some flowers." "That’s right" the boy said, "but how did you know?" "Oh, just a wild guess," she said.The next pupil was the sweet shop owner’s daughter. The teacher held her gift overhead, shook it, and said, "I bet I can guess what it is. A box of sweets." "That’s right, but how did you know?" asked the girl. "Oh, just a wild guess," said the teacher.The next gift was from the son of the liquor storeowner. The teacher held the package overhead, but it was leaking. She touched a drop of the leakage with her finger and touched it to her tongue. "Is it wine?" she asked. "No," the boy replied, with some excitement. The teacher repeated the process, taking a larger drop of the leakage to her tongue. "Is it champagne?" she asked. "No," the boy replied, with more excitement. The teacher took one more taste before declaring, "I give up, what is it?" With great glee, the boy replied, "It’s a puppy!"

Have you even had certain expectations only to be completely surprised and even frustrated and discouraged with the actual results? You are sure you know what will happen, or atleast what should happen; and when it doesn’t, your emotions run wild and you have a hard time dealing with them. What do you do when things don’t go as you expect or desire? This morning, we are going to camp on just a few verses here in Exodus 15, to learn from Israel’s example and to apply it to our lives today. One of the biblical truths that we have been emphasizing throughout our series in Exodus is this:

Romans 15:4 – “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

What we are reading in the Old Testament about events in the lives of the Israelites thousands of years ago, was written for us to apply to our lives today. Even when the Apostle Paul, in the New Testament, talked about the experiences of the nation of Israel in these stories in Exodus, he said this:

I Corinthians 10:6 – “Now these things took place as examples for us…”

And in this morning’s passage, there is an example that applies to all of us, on a daily basis. In our own frame of life, we also have expectations of what life should bring, and how God should bring it for us; and we are often disappointed, and then challenged with how we respond to those disappointments. Let’s learn from Israel this morning, and then make the right choices in our lives today.

Our theme for the book of Exodus has been: Redeemed For Relationship. God did not bring His people out of Egypt so that they could be comfortable for the rest of their lives, and problem free. He brought them out to have a special relationship with Him. In just a few chapters from where we are now, God is going to reveal His specific set of commandments that He wanted His people to keep. But, for now, God has just brought His people out of bondage, and is already teaching them how to trust in Him for their every need. They are learning what it means to experience true freedom in relationship with God.

Last week, we looked at the song that Moses and the people of Israel sang, in response to God’s incredible deliverance at the Red Sea. They praised God for who He was and what He had done for them. They were on a spiritual high. If you were to ask them how their relationship with God was at the moment, they would respond: “never been better…God is great, and we are in a very, close, intimate relationship right now.” Perhaps you have felt that way before. But, all of those feelings were about to change.

In these 6 verses, we have pretty much a summary of the cycle that the people of Israel are going to experience throughout their wanderings in the wilderness. And that is why I think it is important for us to camp here this morning. Just in these verses, with some example from the surrounding chapters, you will get a feel for what the children of Israel will experience over the next 40 years of their wilderness wanderings, and even more into their future. And I think you will see that the cycle the people of Israel experienced is the same one you and I go through on a regular basis. The question is: are you willing to recognize it, and more importantly, are you willing to do something about it?

Here in Exodus, God had just delivered Israel from Egypt after 400 years in bondage, by bringing 10 plagues of judgment on Egypt. He then rescued them from the pursuing Egyptian army, as He parted the waters of the Red Sea, led the 2,000,000 of His people through on dry ground, and then brought the waters back down on the Egyptian army, drowning them all! The people of Israel responded with a song of praise, which is found in the first 21 verses of Exodus 15. And this is how the cycle begins:

1. We experience God’s blessing

That is the situation of Israel in chapter 15. They had experienced incredible blessings from God; as they would throughout their wilderness experience. They were in slavery for 400 years, and now they had incredible freedom. They witnessed, with their own eyes, the amazing things that God did in order to secure their freedom.

After being set free from Egypt and basically pushed out of the land, they soon found themselves at a dead end; or so it seemed. The Red Sea was before them, and the Egyptian army was pursuing close behind. We got a view of what they do often when they get in a tough situation: they feared and they blamed someone. But, what did God do? He told Moses to tell the people: Stand still and watch the salvation of the LORD!

This deliverance motivated Moses and the people of Israel to sing a song of praise to the greatness of God:

Exodus 15:2 – “The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

When the blessings are there, and are evident; especially if we have been delivered from danger, we do what the people of Israel did:

· We look to Him

This is not that difficult to do, when we know that God has delivered us in an incredible way. Our eyes go to Him and our praise goes to Him. That is the context of these verses this morning. They looked to Him, trusted in Him, and praised Him, when the blessings were abundant. But, it wasn’t long before the circumstances changed.

As far as the people of Israel knew, life would be easy now. The enemy was gone, they were out of bondage and God had promised to lead the nation to a Promised, amazing land. We know that they had expectations of what God would do because of the responses they give when things don’t go their way.

It is easy for us to do the same thing, especially after an incredible high spiritually. We feel so close to God, and we have seen His deliverance. In a sense, we expect things to go well for us now. Many new believers think that since coming to Christ is an exciting thing (and it is!) and because God delivered them from many troubles in their life (and He has!), that God will now give them a life of relative ease (but He won’t!) Here is the second main stage of this cycle:

2. We have expectations we put on God

You may say you don’t have undue expectations of God, but we can easily fall into it. We think that if are trying to do our best, that He certainly wouldn’t allow anything difficult into our lives or the lives of our loved ones would He? Now that I have seen His great blessings, that is the way of the Christian life, right? And when we have our own expectations of the way we think life ought to be:
· We assume our own future

This is the time of year that many people are graduating from some stage of academic life. And Christian graduates, all over the world, will hear and use this verse as they celebrate graduation:

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

And many times this verse is used to say how wonderful things are going to be now for these graduates, in the future, because of God’s promise. Well, He did promise this to Israel; but involved in that hope for the future, was also a lot of pain and struggles and judgment for sin. The people of Israel assumed all would go well, from their perspective. But, we have to see these things from God’s perspective, or we will be tempted to do exactly what the people of Israel are going to do here at the end of Exodus 15. They had their own expectations of a future…

…A future that has not been promised. God promised the people of Israel release from bondage and a close relationship with Him. They knew that a promised land was in their future. What they had no idea of, however, was how long the journey would take, how difficult it would be; and the tremendous responsibilities that would be placed on them…the ones who had been redeemed and greatly blessed by God. But, things did not go as expected:

Exodus 15:22 – “Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.”

The incredible deliverance was over, the Egyptian army was gone: not just gone…they were dead! And now it was time to move on to the Promised Land. But, three days into their trip, they realized something: there is no water to drink. They had moved from the lakes region into the Desert. And water, of course, was crucial for the people of Israel; as well as for their animals. No water! That can’t be. So, they continued to travel, and then came the great news: we found water! It would be like the announcement for people lost at sea, in a boat, to finally hear that they found land. They had to have water for survival, and they found it. But…

Exodus 15:23 – “When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah.”

One commentator described it their predicament this way: “Imagine with me, the hot arid region, half desert and half wilderness. Think of the large slithering serpents that fled from sight as they approached some rock. Think of the large vultures flying overhead, suspicious of this vast group of people, suspicious that they were going to collapse and die in the wilderness. Consider the cries of the small children as they begged for parents to carry their weary, sunburned little bodies. Consider the plight of the father who is now lumbering under the load of a few possessions and the 100 degree sun pounding down on his head and the dry desert winds parching his lips. Consider the mother trying to ignore her own discomfort to attend to the needs of the crying children. Consider the thoughts that are now present in the mind of Moses as he remembers speaking boldly to Pharoah and to the people about a God who is going to deliver them. Perhaps, the whole saga is going to fall woefully short and that they will indeed die in a wilderness.The nights brought no relief for the nights were just as cold as the days were hot. Shivering on the sands was just as discouraging as trying to battle the sun in the daytime. Here they move along and come to a place where water is sighted. There is no way to hold back the three million Israelites from stampeding the water. They run to the water, some half stumbling and sprawling into the water. Just before they get to the water, no doubt some began to laugh with delight and with relief about the refreshment they are about to take part in. But somewhere between that laugh and the first taste of the water something happens. The water becomes bitter. It is undrinkable. Imagine that just about the time that the water begins to fill the mouth the discovery is made that the taste is horrible.” They had found water, but it was undrinkable. And they had the same response we do when we had certain expectations and they didn’t come about:

3. We get disappointed.
This is understandable, in their situation, isn’t it? They had the expectation that there would be water provided to sustain life; and that God would give them whatever they needed. But, the reality was that there was not water; and once they came to Marah and found water, it was undrinkable. Marah is the Hebrew word for “bitter.”Can you see their fallen faces and sighs of disappointment? Their expectations were crushed and we know of their utter disappointment because of what happens next.

It is the same for us, isn’t it? You have a certain expectation that God is going to provide something, and when it doesn’t come, there is profound disappointment. When we first got married, we expected, that as soon as we really tried to get pregnant it would happen. I mean: God knew how much we desired children, so it would happen when we were ready, right? Wrong! And it brought disappointment. You work hard, but don’t get the expected raise. You save diligently but your investments go down with the economy. You studied hard, but still did not get that scholarship. Unmet expectations bring disappointment, to all of us. And when this happens…
· We focus on our present circumstances

“Marah brought great disappointment. Their hopes seemed at long last to be fulfilled. About to enjoy the refreshment, about to delight in something that had for three days been denied them, but the taste only left them with bitterness.” This can happen to us. We get our focus on our present, undesirable, circumstances, and we wallow in our disappointment, possibly allowing bitterness to take root and grow in our hearts.

And the reason we are disappointed is because we are not able to see the full picture of what God is doing. It is because: We are not thinking about God’s overall plan. We do not have His perfect perspective. We are only thinking of ourselves, our present circumstances, and how much they stink! This is what can lead to discouragement and bitterness. We become so focused on what is happening right now that we can’t see the forest beyond the trees. We see the rain but not the rainbow.

I have a question: What happened to the praise of Exodus 15:1-21? They were just full of praise for all the incredible things God had done in rescuing them from the land of Egypt; and then delivering them through the Red Sea, and defeating the Egyptian army. They were flooded with praise of how great God was and the great things He had done. And then what…just days later, they are without water, and the praise is all gone…the trust is gone…the dependence on God is gone? Their focus is completely on their present circumstances when it should be on the incredible God who has delivered them before and can certainly meet all of their needs now.

In their book, Ted Kyle and John Todd include a writing entitled: “Why Me Lord?” Many of us are like the person who said, “My car broke down and it cost me $400 to get it fixed…. $400 that I did not have. Why me Lord? After all, I’ve been better than most. Why are you treating me this way? Why are you punishing me this way? Then the TV went on the blink, and so did the dishwasher, and the clothes dryer and the lawn mower, and even the iron! Why me, Lord? Besides that, why, at my age, should I still be having financial problems? Why am I not “set” financially like some others I know? Why have you denied me opportunities for fame and fortune that you have given to others? Why me, Lord?”
The writing continues: “When I find myself starting to think like this, it sometimes helps for me to ask the same questions about the other aspects of my life. Lord, what have I done that is so grand that you should have blessed me with a car, a TV set, a clothes- dryer, a lawn mower, and an iron? Why did you give me all these things anyway? Why me, Lord? Lord, why did you permit me to be born in America with all its plenty? I could have been born in poverty-stricken Bangladesh instead of rich America. Why me, Lord? Lord, why did you give me the opportunity to have a job when so many, who are as deserving as I, are without work? Why me, Lord? Lord, why did you give me good health? Others have died at my age of heart attacks or are crippled by accidents or disease. Why should I escape ill health when other religious people do not? Why me, Lord? Lord, why have you spared me from the sorrows that strike so many other families? Others, wonderful people, have lost close relatives, but I haven’t. Why me, Lord?
When I think of all the ways the Lord has blessed me, though I don’t deserve it. I wonder how I could possibly complain about the relatively insignificant things that go wrong in my life from time to time. If I could only learn to count my blessings.”

When we focus on our present, difficult circumstances, we begin to question why, and disappointment can lead to complaining and bitterness. And that is exactly what happened with Israel here. You might ask: Well, Greg, how do you know this is the case? How you know they weren’t completely trusting in God? We know that because of the very next verse, which explains their response to their current circumstances:

Exodus 15:24 – “And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?”

The people of Israel saw that there was no water; but instead of resting in God’s promise, they did what we do…and you know what we do, right?

4. We complain

There was no water. When there is water, it is undrinkable. So, what are we going to do? What can we do? We have no water. The best thing we can do is figure out who is to blame for this predicament; and isn’t it obvious? Our leader is to blame!
Moses: what in the world were you thinking? What are we supposed to do? We have no water, and we need water to survive.

They grumbled against Moses, God’s chosen leader for them, because who else were they going to grumble against? It is natural to take our complaints to whomever the leader is, and that is what they did. But, instead of sharing their problem with Moses and asking Him to intercede with God, they grumbled. Instead of talking about how they just needed to wait patiently on God, knowing He would meet their needs, they grumbled.

Most of us refuse to grumble, out loud, to God. So, we pick a human target, an easier target, for our complaining. We pick our children, spouse or parents. We pick our teachers, or government authorities, coaches, pastors or neighbors. We decide that they got us into this mess and we didn’t deserve this kind of trouble. It is their fault and they deserve our wrath. So, we yell at them, or call them names or give dirty looks. We tell them how it is their fault. We tell others about how terrible of a leader or person he is; and what kind of grief they have caused us.

Of course, our complaint is really against God. Moses said later to the complaining people of Israel:

Exodus 16:8 – “…Your grumbling is not against us but against the LORD.”

We won’t admit that, so we take it out on someone we can see, and someone we hope to hurt with our complaint, as they have hurt us. Moses wasn’t perfect, for sure. But, he had done the things God had asked him, and led the people where God led them. But, since God led them to a place without water, the people assumed Moses had failed in his leadership.

Did you know there are some churches that have people in them that grumble just about anything? They grumble about the temperature in the building, if it isn’t just right. They grumble about music, the budget and the choir. They grumble about how many programs the church has and what the content is. They grumble about what the pastor wears, what translation of Bible he uses and even about what he places his notes on when he speaks. They don’t like the direction of the church - the place where the leader, that God has given them, is taking them, so what do they do? Their complaint is against God, really; but they don’t grumble out loud against God. They grumble against the leaders.

The people of Israel forgot what God had already done in their past; or at least they didn’t allow it to affect them. They forget the truth of their history and what God has done, but chose to remember or misremember their bondage in Egypt - crazy

I don’t blame them. It is natural for us to do just that. It doesn’t make it right, but I struggle with the same thing that the Israelites struggled with back then. And they began to do the unthinkable, which really made no sense. And yet, we tend to do the same thing:

· We long for the past to return

We don’t have it in this verse, but all around these verses, we see the pattern. First, let’s come back to what the people said, just after God miraculously delivered them from Egypt and now they were in a seeming dead end: the Red Sea on one side and the Egyptian army on the other. They found their leader and said:

· Thank you so much for your willingness to do what God asked you to do in leading us out of bondage. Did they say that? No.
· It had been a long 400 years! We are so grateful that you followed God’s call, even though it was difficult. Did they say that? No.
· And we want you to know, that even if God chooses to let the Egyptian army kill us or take us back to bondage, we are forever grateful for your leadership. Is that what they said? NOPE!

Exodus 14:11,12 – “They said to Moses, Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

What is the world are they talking about? How could they think that God had performed all those miracles with the plagues just to bring them out there to die; and yet that is what they were asserting against Moses. And can you believe what they said: “we told you to leave us alone in the first place. We wanted to remain as slaves!” Are you kidding me?

It is like the spouse that says: I wish I never married you. It is the child that wishes he were never born into that family. Even though God had brought you into relationship with other people, you quickly wish you didn’t have those relationships when things get difficult. It is ridiculous, but it is also human nature.

Once they moved on from Elim (vs.27), they went to the wilderness of Sin; and got hungry. And what encouraging words did they have for their leader? Look ahead with me at:

Exodus 16:2,3 – “And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

It happened again. After God provides water here at Marah, they then get hungry in the wilderness and grumble about that! In fact, it says the entire congregation grumbled against the leaders. There aren’t 2,000,000 of you; but it would be representative if all of you stood up in this service and started complaining about something you don’t like in the church; and talking about how much you wish you still belonged to your old church; or how you wish you still had your favorite previous pastor.
They started to long for the “good ole days” when they were in Egypt, sitting by the meat pots and had all you can eat bread. What? The good ole days? You were slaves, working from sunrise to sunset, sitting by the meat pots because you could hardly stand up. You misremember! Israel: the reason you think it was go great back then, is because your present difficult circumstances are clouding your faith, and you are not able to see the truth: the past wasn’t so great after all; and more than that, your great God is still in control and has His purpose in mind.

And you’ll never believe it, but once the people of Israel move on from this part of the wilderness, they get to Rephidim, and guess what? no water…again! And you’ll never guess as to what their great response of faith was to their new, difficult circumstances. Look ahead to:

Exodus 17:2,3 – “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?”

Can you believe that? They grumbled and complained, just in these few chapters:
· After God miraculously brought them out of Egypt
· After He does what He is about to do in these verses, providing water
· After He, in chapter 16, provide miraculously the bread that they need

In each of these cases, after God provided in incredible ways, they come into new, difficult circumstances, and just like that, they begin to grumble and complain. But don’t be too hard on Israel. Because if you and I were honest, we do the same thing.

· You have a job that provides for you and your family…but then you lose your job, get laid off, lose benefits, or get passed over for a raise
· You think you have found someone you love… and it falls apart; and your are all alone
· The answer to your prayer… is delayed
· You tithe and give…but it still seems like the money isn’t there
· You get involved in a ministry…but don’t see the results you want
· You come to church…but things aren’t moving spiritually like you would like them to

So, you are tempted to complain. And in difficult circumstances, your mind is clouded and you begin to talk about the past, as though everything was perfect back when…; which means you are completely overlooking the facts that God never changes, and that He is fully able to handle your present circumstances as well. In fact, He has allowed your present, difficult circumstances so that you can grow spiritually and that He can be glorified.

You know what the people of Israel needed? To stop their ridiculous grumbling and complaining, do you know what they needed? They needed The Complaint Zapper. You don’t know what the complaint zapper is? Let me introduce you to it:

VIDEO: The Complaint Zapper

We showed this video to our kids and suggested we buy it for them for Christmas. They weren’t very interested in that…for some reason. They were a little concerned that there might be such a thing. If only the Israelites had complaint zappers; then, perhaps they wouldn’t have been so quick to grumble and complain, whenever they found themselves in a difficult situation. Let me ask you this: if you had a complaint zapper around your neck, how many times would you have been zapped in the past 24 hours? This morning, I want to encourage you to evaluate your own attitude, to really consider this issue of complaining, and how it relates to our relationship with God.

The people of Israel certainly did not deserve to be rescued again. They probably deserved to die of thirst. But, once they grumbled at Moses, he turned to God and asked for help:

Exodus 15:25 – “And he cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet…

Moses did what the people should have done. He went to the only one who could do anything about their problem. He went to the one who had proved Himself faithful. He went to the one that the people of Israel were ignoring. And once he did go to God, they experienced what we have experienced over and over and over again:

5. We receive God’s provision
No, of course it doesn’t happen in our timing or way; but at some point, God does what is best and provides what is needed. In this case, they needed fresh water. So, God points Moses to a log, Moses throws it in the water, and just like that…the water is drinkable again. We have an amazing God. What were they so worried about, huh?

What are we so worried about, in tough circumstances, when we know we have access to the same God the people of Israel had access to. We have a God that can do anything. We have a God who knows our circumstances. We have a God who makes no mistakes. And just like with the people of Israel, when God does make provision:

· We are refreshed with God’s grace

Were you here last Sunday morning to hear the testimonies that were given? It was amazing to hear, over and over again, of how God has touched people’s lives in incredible ways, showering His grace upon us; even though we don’t deserve it. He does it to show us His power, and bring glory to Himself. And that is exactly what we did last week, as we recounted what God has done, and directed our praise to Him. If you were not here, let me encourage you to get the CD or get on our website and listen to the message: Our Song, based on Exodus 15:1-21.

God’s grace is showered upon us, just like it was on Israel, over and over and over again. But, it doesn’t end there. With God’s great blessings and grace, there is responsibility on our part to respond to God rightly. We see it here, in:

Exodus 15:25,26 – “…there the LORD made for them a statue and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statues, I will put no one of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”

The statue and rule was that they would keep, faithfully, what He had laid out for them: The Passover celebration, feast of unleavened Bread, and the consecration of the firstborn, and whatever he reveals later. If they do that, God would continue to be their healer. He had already been their healer, by judging the people, land and animals of Egypt with disease but none of the nation of Israel. If they obeyed, He would keep His part of the covenant as well.

Just before the people were going to enter the promised land 40 years later, Moses reminded them of this covenant agreement:

Deuteronomy 7:12-15 – “And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the LORD your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your father. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your wine and your oil, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock in the land that he swore to your fathers to give you. You shall be blessed above all peoples. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your livestock. And the LORD will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.”

The basic principle God laid out was: If you obey, you will receive blessings; but if you disobey, you will be cursed. They would not fully keep their part of the covenant, and so there would be times that God would judge His people, bringing sickness and disease among them. But, His Word revealed to His people what the expectations were. And it is no different today:

6. We are reminded of God’s Word

Exodus 15:27 – “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.”

God had provided the water they needed; and then He asked them to remember their promises: to humbly obey Him. This completes the cycle that the people went through, constantly, it seems. Perhaps, you were able to identify with some of this as well. The fact is: we also have God’s Word, revealed to us. It tells us about the responsibilities we have to humbly obey Him. Regardless of our circumstances, He tells us exactly what He wants us to do, as we follow Him. And just like with the people of Israel, in that day…

· We have a choice to make

When we find ourselves in less than comfortable circumstances, we can grumble and complain and blame God and others. Or, we can put it in God’s hands, try to see it God’s way; and praise God for all He has done and for who He is. We can choose to see our difficult circumstance as the prophet Habakkuk did and as he encouraged God’s people to do:

Habakkuk 3:17,18 – “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”

He said: even if everything that seems to be needed to sustain life goes away, I will still praise God, for who He is and what He has done. You can do the same. And do you understand just how important, how crucial to the mission that God has given us, is learning to praise rather than grumble or complain. God made it clear why, we in the church, should not be doing this:

Philippians 2:14,15 – “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

God ties this in to our witness to an outside world that is without Jesus Christ. We must not grumble and complain because to do so is to misrepresent Jesus Christ and to be just like the world is without Christ. Instead we are to shine as lights in this world, praising God and thanking Him…trusting in Him…regardless of our circumstances.

Let me close by pointing your attention to your own personal complaint zapper, just in case. I have given this list to you before, but I think it is appropriate to remind you of it today. When you begin to get that grumbling feeling, for whatever reason, and you are tempted to complain, take out this list attached to your outline, entitled: In Christ…and read it, over and over and over again. Taking some time to consider all the blessings that come from knowing Jesus Christ can put your particular complaint in the right perspective, and hopefully turn your problem into praise. Let’s pray.