Unlimited: Our Words During the Hard Times

Sep 12, 2019 1895

“I am the Lord, who heals you” (Exodus 15:26, NIV).

In just six verses (Exodus 15:22-27), there is a message from God to us that can sweeten our lives wonderfully. These verses tell the story of Israel coming to Marah and finding the waters bitter, leading to howls of complaints from the refugee multitudes.

Moses, under divine direction, does not curse his charges but sweetens the waters by the addition of a miraculous tree. After that, we read, “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.” And they stayed there for several weeks.

Every time we grumble, we are in effect cursing God for messing things up. And we are always in error about the real situation. Elim was only six miles from Marah. If instead of complaining, they had continued on, they would have reached the water-springs and palm trees in just two hours.

How often it is that deliverance is very close to our threatening crises! If we would only trust and push on! The shadow of death is so frequently adjoined by green pastures and still waters.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking Marahs are as common as Elims. Pain is so obnoxious to all of us that we exaggerate it and give its causes much more importance than they deserve. The bad things stand out like sore thumbs, though the rest of the body is in fine shape. The bitter time at Marah was brief, but the stay at Elim was long. That’s the way it usually is in life. There are bad patches, but the good times are more frequent and last longer.

The healing tree is a symbol of that real tree of life: The Cross of Christ. Dip it into every trouble and you will be amazed at the change. When we give due importance to the Cross, everything else dwindles.

Sorrow is not entirely a wilderness. Despite bleakness and desolation, if we look closely, we will usually find the fertility and beauty of oases nearby.

Never forget it. Grumbling is atheism. Trust and praise are Christian.

– Des Ford (adapted)

Eli’s Reflection: What words can we say in place of complaining and grumbling? How might this shift in your words affect your day? Choose a verse to say aloud in worship the next time you are tempted to grumble.

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Kanyanta c lombe

Sep 13, 2019

Just as said I will really now dwell more on the cross than grumbling most times I find is easy to just grumble bit now I wil l definitely look more to the cross and dip it in all my situations and look for the best in times of darkness


Marie Elaine Dumbuya

Sep 12, 2019

I now know that grumbling is a sin by cursing God for ugly situations. May he have mercy upon me for my grumbling habits. Grumbling as from now has been silence in my agenda. I will try as best as possible to stop grumbling even when times are difficult. I know God is in control. I will take every difficult situation to the Lord in prayer because now I know and believe that the moment one grumbles might be the time for God's intervention in that difficult and ugly situation. I pray God's grace will ever shower me to be steadfast in prayer, stop grumbling and looking and focusing to God for everything. I am not perfect, I am somebody who has implicit faith in God Almighty and will remain that way IJMN. Please continue to pray with me to very strong in the Lord.


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