All We Have is Manna Again...

Numbers 11:4-6 - The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, "Who will give us meat to eat? "We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna."

That's you and me right there! Just like the people of Israel who were grumbling, we too are ungrateful people who daily focus on our own needs and forget to trust in God's provision. And God is not pleased with our selfish hearts. We are to "in everything give thanks" (1 Thessalonians 5:18) because God is always faithful to provide in His time. Sadly, we too often look at what we don't have and forget what we have already been given.

"There is nothing at all to look at except this manna." Without that manna, you'd perish! I don't like my boss and am bored at work... without that job, you'd have no money! I wish I could eat nicer food... some people haven't eaten in weeks! And ungratefulness always reveals itself in our thoughts, speech, and actions. We fail to trust in God, instead take matters into our own hands, and begin to do things out of selfish motives. We cease to be vehicles of encouragement and service to others when we are ungrateful. If that becomes a common occurrence in our lives, that means we're deceived, blind, and have much to learn about the goodness of our faithful, providing God.

Jesus was tempted by Satan in a similar way (Matthew 4). Jesus had fasted for 40 days and nights, and then Satan told Jesus to turn stones into bread. Jesus must have been hungry and Jesus definitely had the power to make Himself food. However He didn't. Why? Jesus knew that God had brought Him to that place without food, and He knows that God does not make mistakes. There was no need for Him to try to fight God's will, just opportunity to trust.

Who's your priority? Is it God? Or is it yourself? How thankful you are is a measure of how much you prioritize God's will. If your focus is on God's will, you will be thankful for where you're at today because you know you're far better off than you deserve. We deserve eternal condemnation and separation, but instead we inherit every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3) as adopted children. What more could we ever want or need? If your focus is on yourself instead, you will grumble. Put God first, your needs second, and rejoice always in any circumstance!