Let’s Kill the Spirit of Complaint and Murmur.

Numbers 14:1‭-‬2:
So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!

The Israelites gave Moses and the other leaders hard times because of their numerous complaints. They were never satisfied and grateful for what God did for them through Moses. When they faced a little challenge, they forget all the good God did for them and only focus on their temporal challenges. These let to murmurs and complaints. They raised their voices against God and His anointed and uttered all manners of foolish and piercing words. They ended up all dying in the wilderness.

As we saw yesterday, our text is about the bad report to the people of the 10 spies who went to explore Canaan. While Joshua and Called were trying to calm the people down and encourage them to trust in the Lord, they only were speaking of going back to Egypt or even dying in the wilderness, and even of of stoning their leaders (V10). It displeased God and He said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they” (V11‭-‬12). Note this:

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1. Complaints open doors to a spirit of destruction (1 Corinthians 10:10).
   
2. Complaints and murmurs blind their carriers from seeing any good thing in God and the possibilities we have in Him.
   
3. Complaints keep its victims in delay and stagnation. The more you complain, the more the burden is added and the situation becomes complicated.
   
4. Complaints always come from a discomforting situation that could be treated otherwise. It is a product of the flesh and dissatisfaction.
   
5. Complaints is the senior brother of rebellion. And they both live near the house of witchcraft.
   If you have a child, a friend or even a spouse who is always crying and complaining, will you be happy with such a one?
   
   Complaining is annoying. Crying and complaining are characteristics of children and immaturity. Some people complaint without any cause and about everything.
   The worst is to complain against God. Who will be your helper if you complain against God? To which court will you bring God? So, friends let us deal away with complaints by:
   
   (1) Believing that God has the best for us no matter the challenges. 1 Corinthians 2:9, Ps 37:4, James 1:17, 3
   
   (2) Be patient with God and wait on him (1 Peter 5:6). God already demonstrated His great love towards us (Romans 5:8). If He loves us that much, will He not also give you all things?
   
   (3) Hold fast to the word of God. Apostle Paul says, “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
   (Philippians 2:14‭-‬16)

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Prayer: O Lord, help me to do all things without complaining and disputing, that I may be blameless and harmless, as a child of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. I hold fast the word of life and believe you have the best for me, in Jesus name amen.”