Change is hard (Numbers 8-11, Colossians 1)

Do you ever wish you could change? Maybe its some habit that you can’t kick, or its losing your temper, or anxious thoughts. For God’s people, it was grumbling!

Think about how crazy they were to grumble. God had rescued them from the awful slavery in Egypt, He had brought them through the Red Sea, they sang a song to praise Him, and then grumbled about bitter water, then no food, then no water. Each time, the Lord graciously provided. Now its the second year after leaving Egypt, they have just celebrated the Passover, remembering God’s amazing rescue. God’s presence is so close that He is guiding them each day and is visibly present through a cloud. He has provided a place from them to meet with the living God. And then, they grumble about the food. They dare to say:

“Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic.”

Talk about rose tinted spectacles! Yes, the food might have been free, but that’s because they weren’t. They were slaves! Yet, in their minds, Egypt was a 5* hotel. They forgot about the agony, slavery, and the groaning.

It’s so easy to see the sin in someone else, but are we any different? Think about the rescue the Lord has provided for you. We read about it in Colossians 1. We were slaves, trapped in the darkness of going our own way, facing the wrath of God. Yet in His great kindness, He rescued us from domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son. At great cost to himself, Jesus became our Passover lamb and brought us rescue and peace through his blood.

We were once enemies to God, and in Christ He’s reconciled us. Those in the Old Testament only could see a shadow of what we he have. They had God’s presence in a cloud above the tabernacle, we have “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27). If you’re trusting in Jesus, you couldn’t be more privileged! The Lord Jesus comes to live inside you, by His Spirit, assuring your of a glorious future.

And yet, as we journey to this wonderful promised land, with Christ in us, maybe we’re tempted to look at our past with rose tinted spectacles and think it was better before we came to Christ. There was less trouble. Or maybe we are tempted to look at others who seem to have life easier and wish…

The Lord graciously allows us to pour out our hurt and pain to Him, but How crazy we are to grumble! Lord forgive us us. Help us to remember your great rescue, to know Christ in us, the hope of glory. Please change us, and keep us from grumbling.