Are You Guilty?
They stubbornly tested God in their
hearts, demanding the foods they craved. – Psalm 78:18
Do you ever test God? Are you sure? Do you ever get
angry with God because He isn’t doing what you’ve asked, giving you what you
think you deserve, providing your requests in a timely manner?
We all know the story about the Israelites who
crumbled and complained so much that God refused to let them see the Promised
Land. They wandered around for 40 years, waiting for all the complainers to
die, before God would let them see what He had promised them.
How often do we miss blessings because we’re so busy making
demands of God? How often do we behave like ungrateful children who, instead of
being thankful for what we have, increasingly insist that God give us more and
more and more.
I love the NLT version of this verse because it talks
about the heart. We can do and say all the right things but remember that God
looks at the heart. There’s no hiding what you really think and feel from Him.
When you’re secretly jealous because your friend got a
new car or a job promotion, God knows. He hears the silent whine of your heart
as you wonder why you can’t have those same things.
God knows when you’re nice to someone to their face
but in your heart you’re criticizing them for their weight, how they’re
dressed, how their children behave. God hears the ugliness that good manners
have taught you not to reveal publicly.
God hears you gossip about people. He knows the lies
you spread. God sees the selfishness that rests deep inside of you. God hates
the pride, the arrogance, the deep certainty that makes you believe you are
better than others, deserve more than others, know more than others.
The Israelites had forgotten all that God had done for
them. They’d forgotten the oppressive years under the Egyptians. They’d
forgotten how God had parted the Red Sea, allowing them to pass safely, before
the water drowned their enemies. They’d forgotten how God had cared for them.
They were just too focused on what they didn’t have, what they believed they
deserved, on their own momentary discomfort. Are we any different?
God loves each of us equally. It’s something we really
can’t comprehend because it’s something we’re incapable of doing. God also
wants good things for each of us. It’s not about good deeds or worthiness. We
will never deserve anything good from Him. Still, God wants to do good for each
of us.
What does that look like? The Israelites decided it
looked like water and meat. But that was just momentary. Once they got what
they wanted, the demands didn’t stop. We’re no different. We want and want.
Then we get it and, a short time later, we want something else. We’re trying to
fill ourselves up, buy happiness and contentment, with things that will never
satisfy us. Will we ever learn?
It all comes back to the heart. Our hearts. Your heart
and mine. That’s what determines our joy. That’s where we find our contentment.
When Jesus is all we need, we become satisfied and at peace.
Life will always have challenges and obstacles to
overcome. We’re on a journey to the Promised Land and the terrain is rocky and
uncertain. But we can be joyful. We can choose to see the good, to be
satisfied, to trust God to see us through to the end.
Look at your heart. What does it say about who you
really are?
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