Ephesians 5:20
20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In Exodus 16 and 17, we find the Israelites beginning to grumble. They were hungry and thirsty. Instead of trusting God to provide, they complained to Moses and grumbled against God. Never mind, that God had just delivered them from the oppression of the Egyptians by performing miracle after miracle and parted the Red Sea, so they could walk across on dry ground. They had already forgotten what God had done for them. Instead of being grateful to God for hearing their cries and delivering them from slavery and oppression, they continued to whine. Instead of trusting God to make a way, they chose to complain about their current situation. They chose not to trust God for their future. They were forgetting that God had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey.
I will be the first to admit that when it comes to being grateful, I sometimes miss the mark. I will admit that I do find myself complaining more than I would like. In all honesty, I can be a bit of a whiner. It’s not one of my best traits and the Holy Spirit has really been convicting me on this heart issue. God has done many wonderful things for me. He has always provided for me and my kids. If I know that He has always provided, then why is it so hard to be content in my circumstances? Why do I find it so hard to trust God for today and tomorrow? Why is it so hard for me to give thanks in EVERY situation? I guess the simple answer is that I am human and it is in my nature to want to know that everything will work out. It is in my nature to want to control the outcome. It is in my nature to want to change my circumstances and fix my problems on my own and in my own timing and when I can’t, I whine and complain like a child.
If I look around me today, I see that I have a house with heat. I have food in the cupboards. I have 5 AMAZING kids who will do great things. I have 2 grandchildren, who are the light of my life. I have a job that pays the bills. Is everything perfect? No. Life can be tough. I struggle, but I choose to trust God for the future. I choose to be content in my circumstances and know that God has a plan for my future.
How do you deal with tough circumstances in your life? Do you whine, grumble and complain like the Israelites, or do you choose to trust God with the future? Are you content in your circumstances? Can you give thanks, even when things are tough? My challenge to you is to reflect on your life right now and find 5 things that you can give thanks for. Make it a habit to give thanks in EVERY circumstance. Choose to be content with the way your life is, right now. Choose to trust that God has a plan for your future.
Patti Burris 