NUMBERS 11:1-3 – “And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them.”

THEME OF THE DAY: NO SMALL MATTER.   Think for a moment about common sins we easily tolerate in our lives.  When I write “easily tolerate in our lives”, I am not referring to willfully calculating ways to commit them. It is more like they just come naturally and must be dealt with constantly through the power of the Gospel, and it is only the Gospel that enables us to defeat those sins of ease.

Now the list of tolerated sins . . . anxiety, frustration, discontentment, unthankfulness, pride, selfishness, lack of self-control, impatience, irritability, anger, judgmentalism, envy, jealousy, slander, gossip, unkind speech, gluttony, and worldliness.  I am sure we may add more to that rather eye-opening list of tolerated sins. I am going to add one more. It comes from today’s scripture, and it is no small matter before the Lord. It is the sin of complaining.

Enter God’s complaining people of old.  They were leaving the wilderness of Sinai and it was difficult.  And that is so often when the sin of complaining raises its ugly self in our hearts and minds soon to be released from our mouths.  The Lord’s response to this sin was swift and serious.  He was angry with His people for their complaining.  Why?  Because of what the sin of complaining exposes about our hearts and lives.

First, complaining is coupled with the sin of discontent.  They always travel together.  Complaining reveals a dissatisfaction with the providence of God.  It sends the message to the Lord, “I am not pleased with Your provision in my life.”  This is serious because we are basically saying, “My will be done, not Yours.”

Next, the sin of complaining exposes a heart that doesn’t know how serious sin is.  Complaining not only questions God’s providence, but it points to the attitude of “This is not fair. I don’t deserve this difficulty in my life.” And behind that statement is an ignorance of the gravity of our depravity.  What isn’t fair in life is that the sinless Son of God would suffer for rebellious sinners like us who deserve what He willingly took upon Himself – the holy wrath of God.

A final truth about complaining making this sin so serious in the eyes of the Lord is the damage it causes to our testimony and witness for the Lord.  To complain about anything and anyone causes us to give the impression that God is not wise, good, or loving.  It misrepresents Him before a watching world.  And it also makes us in conduct and speech no different than those who do not know the Lord.  Much damage is done for the cause of Christ by Christians who build a reputation of being a complainer.  And once that is established in the eyes of those who know us, it takes time and a great work of God’s Spirit to shed that title of being a complainer.

The sin of complaining is no small matter.  May the Lord help us to see what it truly is and constantly depend upon His grace to keep us from tolerating such an affront against our good and gracious God.

PRAYER: Father, forgive me when I so easily sin by complaining about anyone or anything in my life.

REFLECTION: Complaining is no small matter to the Lord. It tells Him, “I am not happy with Your will.”