“But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes.” (Psalm 78:56 NIV)
… After being in bondage for centuries, the Jewish people had to
overcome their slave mentality or they would never have been able to
conquer their enemies and claim their inheritance. Israel’s complaining
and criticizing was a constant irritation to both Moses and the
Lord.
But this juvenile attitude is also true of many of God’s people
today //who should be enjoying their freedom in Christ. If you find
yourself thinking or saying any of the following statements, you are
still living like a slave and you need to start moving toward maturity.
“I don’t see why that happened!” Mature believers walk by faith and
not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
The Lord was preparing his people for
the battles and blessings //that they would meet in the Promised
Land.
[Every temptation () we overcome] can help to sharpen our spiritual
eyes and strengthen our spiritual muscles,
and every trial can help us
grow in grace.
“Lord, I’ve had enough trouble!” During their wilderness journey, the
Jews experienced hunger, thirst, and the attacks of enemy armies, and
their usual response was to complain. None of us is entitled to
anything.
[All () we receive] is by the grace of God and we should not
complain.
“I’m entitled to get what I want!” The people asked for meat to eat
and God gave it to them, but many of them died because of this (Numbers
11). Have you grown enough in your spiritual life that you can be
thankful for unanswered prayer?
“Oh, for the good old days!” Whenever the going got tough, the Jews
wanted to go back to Egypt, back to slavery and pain. But that was not
God’s plan. “Let us go on to perfection [maturity]” is our challenge
(Hebrews 6:1). [Growing from babyhood to adulthood] isn’t easy, but who
wants to remain in the cradle and the playpen?
[Provoking God by our childishness and rebellion] only grieves him and
robs us of the best () he has planned
/for us. [We //who belong to Christ] are
no longer “of the world” (John 17:16), but is there anything of the
world still in our hearts? If so, then let’s confess it and forsake it
so that, like Israel of old, we don’t compromise and get back into
bondage. Our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
-Warren Wiersbe (excerpted from the devotional book Old Testament Words for Today)
Read Psalm 78:52-72.