• In the Kingdom: Jesus Is Lord!
  • Knowing Your Eternal Destiny
  • Three Components of Every Spiritual Battle
  • Top Ten Ways to Know You’re Growing
  • Why This Blog?

eisakouo

~ "Only by hearing will you hear"

eisakouo

Tag Archives: pity party

The High Cost of Low Level Complaining (Part 1) Ingratitude

28 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by eisakouo in Dying to Self

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

accusation against God, anan, attitude of ingratitude, be thankful in everything, bondage, complained about what they actually did have, complained about what they didn't have, complained about what they used to have, complaints, displeased the Lord, God takes complaining seriously, I Thessalonians 5:18, ingrates, malfeasance, manna, no longer grateful, Numbers 11:1-6, our ingratitude for God's care, pity party, royal court, slavery, spiritual imaturity, the kings banquet, to mourn, tramp, whine

 

 

I am sure if you are like me, you have done your fair share of complaining. For many of us voicing complaints is our first response when events go awry. Listen to reality tv or the evening news at the barrage of displeasure coming from people’s mouths. I don’t know about you, but I am always glad to hear a piece of good news when it is provided.

The Bible has much to say about the practice of complaining. The Scriptures tell us not only what people complain about, but also how it affects others and how God responds to it. We may not take our complaining seriously, but God does. When it is all boiled down, complaining is an accusation against God. Complaining accuses God of malfeasance.

It is impossible to fulfill the command to be “thankful in everything” (I Thessalonians 5:18) when you are a chronic complainer. The only way to break this curse of complaining is to become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and learn how to be thankful for all of God’s movements in our life.
Complaining reveals much about us. The first issue the high cost of low-level complaining uncovers is our ingratitude for God’s care. Listen to the story from the Children of Israel’s journey to the Promised Land.

And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp.” Numbers 11:1

 

We might want to side with these people except they have done nothing except complain since they were freed from the bondage of Egypt. The word here for complain is the word “anan“. It means to mourn. They were literally mourning, whining, and weeping because they pitied themselves. Was life so bad for them now that they just decided to sit down and throw a pity-party for themselves? Have you learned who shows up when you throw a pity party for yourself? … Only you. Who else would want to attend?

All this complaining “displeased the Lord.” The Father was exceedingly grieved and hurt by the complaints of the people. It also stirred up His righteous indignation and fire broke out in the camp. Was all this displeasure with God truly vindicated? What were the people actually complaining about in this occasion?

First, the people were vocally venting about what they didn’t have. Most of these complaints revolved around food.

…and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?  Numbers 11:4b

 

The foodies wanted more, especially in the meat department. This craving for “flesh” led them to whine and vent about their lack.

 

Next, the people complained about they used to have.

We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic: Numbers 11:5

 

Remember these Israelites were just freed from Egyptian slavery. Now they were complaining how their old life was better than what they were experiencing now as freed people of God. What a testimony! Sadly, believers do the same thing. When they find themselves under pressure you hear the same types of statements, “I never had this many problems before I got saved!” It is true. You don’t have many problems when you are in bondage.

Did they really eat freely in Egypt? How many meals can you make out of “leeks, onions and garlic?” I agree these items were on the menu before, but these were about all they had. They had conveniently forgotten about the fact they were in bondage just a few months prior. Sometimes freedom means self-denial. Fantasizing about the “good old days” of bondage will only assure we stay in bondage.

 

The people complained about what they didn’t have, what they used to have, and also they vented about what they actually did have. Now we come to the heart of the issue.

But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes. Numbers 11:6

Someone doesn’t like the taste of manna. Why not? This stuff only comes from heaven itself. It is only a miracle food. It only comes from the hand of God. Isn’t it amazing how quickly a miracle becomes so “normal” we are no longer grateful for its provision in our life. How quickly the children of God wanted something new, something better, and something more. Again, many believers operate in the same fashion. The church is no longer exciting enough. The Bible is no longer “feeding” us like it used to in the beginning. We treat the things of God like the Children of Israel regarded the miracle of manna. They wanted something new and better and so does the church of the twenty-first century. Here is the point. When the things of God are no longer exciting and appealing to us, we are in deep trouble. What terrible ingrates we must appear to God when we complain about all that we do not have rather than thanking Him for what He has graciously provided. Just like Israel, we too possess an attitude of ingratitude.

 

Many years ago, as the story is told, a devout king was disturbed by the ingratitude of his royal court. He prepared a large banquet for them. When the king and his royal guests were seated, by prior arrangement, a beggar shuffled into the hall, sat down at the king’s table, and gorged himself with food. Without saying a word, he then left the room.
The guests were furious and asked permission to seize the tramp and tear him limb from limb for his ingratitude. The king replied, “That beggar has done only once to an earthly king what each of you does three times each day to God. You sit there at the table and eat until you are satisfied. Then you walk away without recognizing God, or expressing one word of thanks to Him.”

Ingratitude denotes spiritual immaturity. Infants do not always appreciate what parents do for them. They have short memories. Their concern is not what you did for me yesterday, but what are you doing for me today. The past is meaningless and so is the future. If we continue to operate as toddlers, we will never grow. Those who are mature are deeply appreciative of all God’s provisions both past and present. Choose to be a mature and grateful believer. Appreciate all God has done and is doing in your life and cultivate an attitude of gratitude.

 

Blessings,

 

Pastor

 

 

 

Share this:

  • More
  • Email
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Recovering From a Spiritual Dry Spell

26 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by eisakouo in Abraham: Life of Faith

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

13 years of silence, A.W. Tozer quote, Abraham and Sarah, acting presumptuously, brithed an Ishmael, doing it our own way, dry spells, fresh encounter, Genesis 17:1-3, hunger for the promises of God, lost years, pity party, repent

 

 

One of the reasons I identify with Abraham and Sarah is because their spiritual walk was not perfect.  They both made plenty of mistakes, but didn’t stay in that condition.  Eventually, they got things back on track with the Lord. Maybe, like Abraham, you have blown it spiritually.  You need a fresh encounter with God and a renewed vision.

Spiritually speaking, it is never too late to make a fresh start because we are never beyond God’s reach.  In Genesis 17, God challenges Abraham to move to a new level of trust and faith.  This was a time when Abraham probably thought his best years were behind him. Yet, God asked him to step up and believe. It is amazing to consider that when we think it is all over, God is thinking about new beginnings.

Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying…  (Genesis 17:1-3)

Abraham was now ninety-nine years old. Twenty-four years had passed since God’s initial call and he had left Ur. It had also been thirteen years since the events recorded in Genesis 16. So far as we can tell, God had not spoken since He and Hagar got together. Thirteen years of silence!   If we would be honest with ourselves, we too have experienced long periods of “dry spells” in which God’s revelations and appearances were few and far between. It didn’t really have to be this way. But because we held on to our sin and kept walking in disobedience, even after being confronted with the truth, God remained silent.

I remember on one occasion when I was upset with the Lord over His dealings with me.  I was sulking and throwing a spiritual pity party.  After a few days of this, I soon realized that no one was attending my pity party but me.  A few days later I was praying and heard these words from the Lord,  “I am not going to come and get you this time.”  In other words the Lord was telling me, “He wasn’t going to attend my selfish pity party either.”  I decided it would be better to repent and return to the Lord, rather than continue in my self-absorbed vanity.  I still didn’t understand the Lord’s dealings in my life. But at least I was on track again.  It was only months later that I understood what God was doing.  Sometimes it is better to repent first and ask questions later.

Here is the point: When we insist on “doing it our own way”, we will eventually eat the fruit of those seeds. Thirteen years earlier Abraham had taken a wrong turn (he and Sarah birthed an Ishmael). For thirteen years there had been only silence from heaven.  These were years of unhappiness and unrest in the household of Abraham. Yes, the old couple had a child… but it wasn’t the “child of promise.”  By their own hands, they produced unwanted/ungodly interference to God’s plan. It wouldn’t have been so difficult had not the promise of God still been lingering in the air.   The presence of Ishmael in the home created contempt, bitterness, envy, and strife.  Yes,  they had problems before this, but they were always ultimately victorious.  I don’t believe these were necessarily lost years.  God used these thirteen years to teach Abraham the cost of acting presumptuously on his own.

One of the most frightening things in life is when you insist on having things your own way. God may let you have your way for a season. You may be sorry you asked for it.  But ultimately for those who are hot hearted for God, the hunger for the promises of God draw you back.

Blessings,

Pastor

Share this:

  • More
  • Email
  • Pocket
  • Print
  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr

Like this:

Like Loading...

Categories

  • Abraham: Life of Faith
  • Christmas
  • Daniel – No Compromise
  • Discipletips
  • Dying to Self
  • Holidays and Special Events
  • How God Creates a Man or Woman He Can Use
  • How to Receive an Answer from God
  • Humor/Reaping and Sowing
  • Illustrations/Cartoons/Etc.
  • Kingdom of God
  • Living In Uncertain Times
  • Luke
  • News/Hot Topics
  • Our Journey Into The Promised Land
  • Our Spiritual Process
  • Portraits of the Blessed
  • Quotes
  • Receiving Revelation
  • Servanthood
  • The Lord's Return
  • The Strange & Unusual Voice of God
  • Times of Testing
  • Uncategorized
  • When the Holy Spirit Comes

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 231 other followers

Archives

Blog Stats

  • 244,515 hits

Eisakouo

Eisakouo

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Top Rated

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • eisakouo
    • Join 231 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • eisakouo
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    loading Cancel
    Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
    Email check failed, please try again
    Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
    %d bloggers like this: