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Moses also said, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.”
Exodus 16:8 (NIV)

Recently I have been studying the book of Exodus and the last part of this verse just really hurt my heart; “You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.” Ouch! I have a bad habit of grumbling anytime something doesn’t go my way. Just five minutes before church yesterday I was grumbling about my neighbors who played their music too loud into the early morning hours. But that is just one thing I grumbled about but unfortunately, there are many. There’s the weather – it’s either too hot or too cold, too rainy or we are in a drought. Or it’s about how I feel, my back hurts or I’m tired. Or it’s about things breaking around the house that I don’t know how to fix. As a widow who lives alone, I even find myself frequently grumbling to the dog. He very sweetly listens but has yet to make anything better. So what does it matter if I grumble?

You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.

It’s easy to hear the story of the Israelites and focus on their sin, and their grumbling but eventually, we start to realize we are just like them. But I hadn’t really finished connecting the dots that my grumbling is against the Lord too. That really hurts when I think about how often I grumble and how lightly I brush off this behavior. It is against the Lord…

Other verses confirm that grumbling is a sin.

In Philippians 2:14 (ESV) we are commanded to do all things without grumbling.

Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

In James 5:9 (NIV) we are told we will be judged.

Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

And in Psalm 106:24 (NIV) we are told what is at the root of grumbling – they did not believe His promise.

Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise.
They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the Lord.

Not believing His promises is a lack of faith.

The Israelites struggled with believing God’s promises. They were suffering. Life had been hard. They had lived in slavery and then they were freed by God. But life was still hard. They were wandering around the desert for 40 years, enduring hunger, thirst, war, etc. But every need was met. God provided every single day, just enough for the day. He was faithful every single day, day after day. As a result, their relationship with God grew. They quit trying to go back to false idols. Trust was developed and their faith expanded. Sounds like my journey as a widow. Can you relate?

The beauty of the story. God expanded their faith!

Typically when I have read the story of the Israelites, I would read about their grumbling and then think about my own grumbling. And then I would stop and just continue to feel guilty for all the times I grumble. I never looked further. Until today. When I not only realized my sin (my grumbling) was against God but I also realized the bigger picture. God knew their hearts towards Him. He led them through the desert and spent time with them. He provided for them every single day. Their relationship grew and their faith expanded. He never deserted them. They are His children whom He desperately loves!

We are His children whom He desperately loves!

When we encounter our own sinfulness we can become overwhelmed with guilt and sadness. We can get stuck in thinking we will never be good enough. God doesn’t bring our sins to the surface to make us feel bad. God allows us to see our sin so that we can be freed from it just as He intended. He wants us to know Him, to trust Him, and to love Him fully. No longer willing to settle for anything less, no longer counting on false idols that cannot deliver and that are incapable of loving us. Knowing His character, knowing His purposes makes it easier to break the chains of grumbling and chose gratitude.

Heavenly Father, thank You so much for loving us beyond our comprehension and our imagination! Help us to follow You every step of this journey and help us expand our faithfulness for Your Glory! Amen.