The Sin of Complaining

“So He gave them their request,
but sent a wasting disease among them.”  Psalm 106:15

Christians who complain about their circumstances would do well to ponder this sobering verse and its background. God had greatly blessed His people, Israel, delivering them supernaturally from slavery in Egypt, protecting them against their enemies - even miraculously supplying daily bread and water for them in the desert.

Still they complained - about their food, about the imaginary luxuries they had left behind in Egypt, and against their leaders. “Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled” (Numbers 11:1). Finally, when they complained about the manna, “the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly.” He sent them quail to eat in such abundance as to last “a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you.” “While the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled...and the Lord struck the people with a very severe plague” (Numbers 11:10, 20, 33).

God has blessed every Christian with forgiveness of sin and eternal life. He daily fulfills His promise to supply every need (not every desire, however), and we should live a thankful life in return, regardless of our particular lot in this world. “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Let your conversations be pleasing and be content with what you have, for He has promised “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). “Do all things without grumbling or disputing” (Philippians 2:14). Complaining about what we don’t have may well result in God taking away what we do have - and still worse - sending leanness into our souls.