Numbers 11:7-10 "The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." But the whole assembly talked about stoning them.*

Standing in line at the check-out of the local grocery store one day, I watched as the lady ahead of me unloaded her cart and the cashier swiped each item. When almost all the items were done, one item wouldn’t swipe. The cashier swiped it again, and then a few more times for good luck. Giving up, she picked up the phone to call for a price check.

That did it. The lady went ballistic. She went off like fireworks on Canada Day. I’ve seen frustrated shoppers before but she takes top prize. With a final explosion, she left her groceries at the check-out and stormed out. I just stood there, barely believing my eyes. With the promised land of life beyond the big-box store plainly in view, she condemned herself to another hour of mass-marketing. (Can you tell I don’t like shopping?)

I couldn’t help thinking about this lady as I read today’s passage. With the promised land almost in view, the Hebrews condemned themselves to another 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. Rather than accepting the minority, faith-filled, report from Joshua and Caleb, the people grumbled and complained. Nothing anyone said could convince them to do otherwise. They would not accept that God could bring them into the land. Seeing only the darkest of news, they despaired of a bright future ahead, so they looked behind: "Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?" (14:3)

As a result of their grumbling and unwillingness to trust God, only the children, along with Caleb and Joshua, would enter the promised land.

We read this chapter, and we think, "What’s the big deal? What’s wrong with a little grumbling? Isn’t God being a little hard on them?"

We think this because we sometimes like to engage in this most popular national pastime. Forget hockey or curling. Far more people grumble than enjoy the ice. We find all sorts of things to grumble about, from the weather to co-workers, politicians, restaurant service, roads, other drivers. It doesn’t matter where we are - we can find something to complain about.

After the church service one day, little Johnny complained that he couldn’t see around Mrs. Johnson’s hat. Sally, a music major in college, complained that the soloist was a little sharp and had poor diction. Dad complained that the pastor’s message was too long and didn’t "speak to him." Mom grumbled about the children behind her who ate "Cheerios" through the service and the teens who smacked their gum in the balcony. After they had exhausted their lists of wrongs, little Johnny added, "But you know, its still a pretty good show for a buck."

Passages like this one today remind us about the power of our words.

Grumbling indicates contempt for God (14:11,23). I don’t like to think of it myself doing this, but grumbling reveals that I do not think God knows what he is doing.

Grumbling is contagious. It all started with the 10 people who kept spreading the bad report throughout the camp (14:37). From them it caught like a wildfire until the whole camp was involved (14:2). When we grumble, we pass along the germs of unbelief.

Grumbling reinforces negative findings. Grumbling leads to more grumbling and only serves to show us the worst of possibilities (14:3) instead of the best of God’s possibilities.

Grumbling prevents us from seeing the signs of God’s goodness: "How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?" (14:11).

Grumbling prevents us from experiencing the fulness of God’s blessing. "Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb... and Joshua" (14:30). This is a hard message to receive - that I may actually be responsible for the state of my life because of my grumbling.

Grumbling can affect the future of those closest to us. "Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the desert." (14:33) Simply put, the state of my life affects others.

Grumbling and griping is not so innocent, after all. The good news is that we can be forgiven and make a new start. "Lord, help me not to get caught in the grumble trap. Help me, instead, to see the signs of your goodness so that I may experience all of your many blessings."

Hope this helps,

Be ON FIRE

Troy