Graves-of-the-Craving!

Just as we were finishing a delicious dinner, the lights went out! A line of powerful storms knocked out the power in our area. For the next 2½ hours we sat around waiting- no water, no lights, no TV – just a book on my Nook. I don’t generally wake up with a gratefulness in my heart for the services of Jersey Central Power and Light but I did this morning. That loss of electricity was really nothing but a minor inconvenience, but it caused me to think about how much goes right in my life. My car starts right up each day, but do I appreciate that? Not until that one morning, it doesn’t!

I tend to focus on the exceptions; spending way too much time talking about the things that go wrong. I am going to work on re-training! I want to start being thankful in all those situations where people show up on time, where things work to make my life more comfortable. Instead of complaining about the rain, I want to give thanks for the sunshine. Rather than gripe about the temperature of my coffee, I want to give thanks that I have coffee to drink.

Some physicians are suggesting that one of the reasons our kids have more allergies is that they are being raised in such clean environs. When their little bodies don’t have to deal with dirt, dust, and allergens as they develop, the immune system actually becomes overly sensitive, kicking up at the least irritant. I wonder if many of us have developed spiritual allergies! Have we been so blessed in life that our ability to cope with the inevitable disappointments is diminished? Are we so sensitive to our own comfort and convenience that we over-react to minor power outages, people that drive too slowly, and other ‘failures’ around us?

Let’s take a lesson in gratitude from the negative example of the ancient Israelites. Every morning the LORD gave them food for the day. Manna (literally – ‘what’s it?’) was a perfectly balanced heavenly food that they just picked up off the ground each morning during their wilderness trek from Egypt to the Promised Land. Were they grateful? Did they appreciate the marvelous gift of their Father? Apparently not. "The riffraff among the people had a craving and soon they had the People of Israel whining, “Why can’t we have meat? We ate fish in Egypt—and got it free!—to say nothing of the cucumbers and melons, the leeks and onions and garlic. But nothing tastes good out here; all we get is manna, manna, manna.”  (Numbers 11:4-6, The Message) It might appear comical, but the LORD was not amused and the Scripture says that “God’s anger blazed against them.”  

Many of them died when He gave them what they wanted, thousands of quail, which they caught and ate, choking on the meat! “God swept quails in from the sea. They piled up to a depth of about three feet in the camp and as far out as a day’s walk in every direction. All that day and night and into the next day the people were out gathering the quail …  But while they were still chewing the quail and had hardly swallowed the first bites, God’s anger blazed out against the people. He hit them with a terrible plague. They ended up calling the place Kibroth Hattaavah (Graves-of-the-Craving). There they buried the people who craved meat.”  (Nu 11:31-34)

Here’s a word from the Word.

"Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods." (Psalm 96:1-4, NIV)

Let me suggest that you take a few moments right now to thank the Lord for all the things that are going right, for all the people who make your life better, for His grace and favor which is poured out on us even when we deserve only His rebuke and/or judgment.

__________________

Father in Heaven, I confess my frequent ingratitude.

Forgive me for focusing on the exceptions.

You are a rich Provider.

I thank you for the food on my table,
the friends that surround me,

the ability to work, think, worship, and play.

I pray that “words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
will be pleasing in your sight,  O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Jesus Christ, be Lord of my heart.

Spirit of the Lord, keep me in tune with Heaven’s melodies this day.
Amen.