Exodus 16 NLT
In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaints, which are against him, not against us. What have we done that you should complain about us?” Then Moses added, “The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and bread to satisfy you in the morning, for he has heard all your complaints against him. What have we done? Yes, your complaints are against the Lord, not against us.” (7-8)
Be careful what you complain about. The bible tells us to do all things without complaining but let’s be honest, many of us love to complain. That is probably one of my greatest weaknesses. I have a little joke I tell my wife that, “I will do anything she asks, but I reserve the right to complain about it.” It might be funny to me, but not to my wife—and in truth, not to God. We tend to wink at complaining as if it’s a small thing, but it is something that God detests. As Moses pointed out, we have to realize that our complaining is not really about people but about God. The Israelites were blaming Moses and Aaron for leading them out into the wilderness where there was little water and no food. Moses reminds them that this had nothing to do with Moses and Aaron and everything to do with Yahweh.
You see if we truly believe that God is sovereign (and He is) then we have to recognize that our lives are in His hands. He knows who we are, He knows where we live, and He knows what we are facing. He knows all about your boss, all about your spouse, and all about everything else that causes you to complain. He knows all of those things and He is the one who has divinely put you in those circumstances. There is a reason for why you are where you are, and there is a purpose for everything that happens to you. God is trying to manifest His glory through you, and He wants to use you in a unique way for a unique purpose.
When we complain about our circumstances it means we either don’t believe God is in control (which is a sin and a rejection of His character) or we believe that God is in control but somehow doesn’t care or doesn’t have a clue what He is doing (which is an even greater sin in my mind). The next time you are tempted to complain about your circumstances, try to mentally lift the veil and ask the Lord what His purposes might be in all of that. You might be surprised to find that He has actually placed you in that situation for your good and His glory, and in His time all of His purposes will be revealed. Until they are, rejoice regardless of your situation and know that He has everything under control.
