Pursuing the Heart of God – Day 51

No More Grumbling or Complaining

Lord, I admit and confess that I grumble and complain too much. I am not as grateful as I should be for all the blessings You have bestowed on me and all the comforts of home that You allow me to enjoy. When something does not go right, or as I had planned, I confess, I am quick to grumble or complain. Please help me understand Your heart with regard to my grumbling.

A Message from God’s Heart to Yours:

My beloved one, when you read the story of the Israelites wandering in the desert in Exodus 15 through 17, you see how much they grumbled. I abhor grumbling and complaining. I had rescued My people from 400 years of slavery under Pharaoh; I separated the waters of the Red Sea, so they could walk through it; I caused the sea to close up again, killing the Egyptians that pursued the Israelites, saving them again; I had Moses leading them through the desert toward the promise land—a land flowing with milk and honey. And yet, they went a few days without good water to drink, and they began grumbling and complaining. A few more days with little food, and they grumbled again, so I provided them daily with manna and quail. They quickly forgot the drudgery they had come from, and thought a life of bondage to Pharaoh was better than a life of freedom in Me. I was so frustrated with these ungrateful people, that I caused this generation to die in the wilderness after 40 years of wandering. They never made it out of the desert to see the wonderful land I promised them.

You would do well to learn from the mistakes of the Israelite people. Do not practice grumbling and complaining when I have given you so much. Like I freed the Israelites from slavery, I freed you from the bondage and slavery of sin. I gave the life of My one and only Son, Jesus, so that you could live a life of freedom. Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear (Luke 12:22-32). Seek Me first, and all these things will be given to you. I will provide. I always have; I always will. Trust Me to meet all your needs, and quit the grumbling.

In your suffering, you will learn obedience (Hebrews 5:8). Instead of complaining, focus on Me and what I have done for you. Every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17). Raise your prayers and petitions to Me. I hear your cries, and I know your need better than you do (Matthew 6:8). Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to Me. And My peace, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind (Philippians 4:6-7).  

It is My will that you appreciate all I have given you. Overflow with thankfulness (Colossians 2:7). Rejoice always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Trade in your grumbling for thanksgiving. Be thankful and focus on all I have done and continue to do for you. You are My child. I will always love you and take care of you. I am your Faithful Father. Be thankful; and no more grumbling!

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I do appreciate all that You have done for me. I enter Your gates with thanksgiving and Your courts with praise; I give thanks to You and praise Your name. You are good and Your love endures forever; Your faithfulness continues through all generations (Psalm 100:4-5). Lord, I trade in my grumbling for thanksgiving. I am thankful that I can meet with You, one-on-one, and You will communicate Your heart to me. Please open my ears to hear Your voice now. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Two-way Conversation with God: 

• Father God, I confess my ungratefulness in these areas: _____________ (fill in the blank). Help me to see the error of my ways and express my thankfulness to You more regularly. Please show me Your heart for me about this. (Write down everything the Lord says to you now.)

• Jesus, thank You everything You have done for me, especially laying down Your life on my behalf. I also appreciate these things about You: ________________ (fill in the blank). How might I best show my appreciation to you? (Record every word and thought you have.)

• Holy Spirit, I ask that You convict me when I begin to grumble, and help me convert that to thanksgiving immediately. Show me how to live a life of thankfulness. What must I do? (Journal all thoughts and ideas He gives you.)

Review God’s thoughts and impressions you’ve sensed and written above. What Scripture comes to mind as you review your notes? Use the concordance of your Bible to look up an impression from God’s Word. Record the verse or passage here. Write all insights and encouragement the Holy Spirit illumines for you as you read God’s Word right now.

Prayer:

Lord, please forgive me, when I do not appreciate all You have done for me. I should be bouncing off the walls with joy because You have saved me from my sin and call me Your child. You gave the life of Your Son, so that I could be reconciled to You. I have a roof over my head, food on my table, clothes on my back, and I enjoy good health too. I lack nothing, nor do I need anything. Lord, next time I want to grumble or complain that something didn’t go right, please place a check in my spirit, and help me to find the good in every situation and be thankful for it. In Jesus’ precious name, I pray. Amen.

Supporting Scripture:

Exodus 15:22-27, ²²Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. ²³When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) ²⁴So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” ²⁵Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink. There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. ²⁶He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.” ²⁷Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.

Numbers 14:26-32, ²⁶The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: ²⁷“How long will this wicked community grumble against Me?  I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. ²⁸So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: ²⁹In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against Me. ³⁰Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. ³¹As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder, I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. ³²But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness.’”

Psalm 100:1-2, ¹Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. ²Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. ³Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. ⁴Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. ⁵For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.

Matthew 6:8, “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

Luke 12:22-32, ²²Then Jesus said to His disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have not storeroom or barn; yet God fees them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? ²⁶Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? ²⁷Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will He clothe you—you of little faith! ²⁹And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹But seek His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. ³²Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”

John 6:35-44, ³⁵Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty.” ³⁶But as I told you, you have seen Me and still you do not believe. ³⁷All those the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away. ³⁸For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me. ³⁹And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I shall lose none of all those He has given Me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰For My Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.” ⁴¹At this the Jews there began to grumble about Him because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” ⁴²They said, “Is this not Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven?’ ⁴³“Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered.⁴⁴“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

1 Corinthians 10:10-11, ¹⁰And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel. ¹¹These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.

Philippians 2:12-18, ¹²Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose. ¹⁴Do everything without grumbling or arguing, ¹⁵so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky ¹⁶as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not urn or labor in vain. ¹⁷But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. ¹⁸So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

Philippians 4:6-7, ⁶Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

Colossians 2:6-7, ⁶So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in Him, ⁷rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Colossians 3:23-25, ²³Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, ¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 5:7-10, ⁷During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. ⁸Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered ⁹and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him ¹⁰and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

James 1:17, Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

James 5:7-9, ⁷Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. ⁹Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

1 Peter 4:7-10, ⁷The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. ⁸Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. ¹⁰Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

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