DAILY HOPE DEVOTIONAL: SEPTEMBER 6 Topic: GOD HATES MURMURING (Part 1) Scriptures: 1 Cor. 10: 10; Num. 14: 1 – 3; Phil. 2: 14 – 15.
Murmuring seems to be a peculiar and constant habit of human beings. The Israelites murmured against their gracious and loving God, and their murmuring displeased God. To murmur means to grumble or whine. It is not wrong to complain if correction is needed, but not to murmur and grumble. Sadly, many Christians are murmurers and complainers. In the home, on the job, and in the local church, they grumble, murmur and complain. They can see nothing good in anything and anybody. To them; everything is bad, their life is miserable and they want it that way for everyone else. Murmuring is one of the most prevalent sins among some brethren. Those who will never think of committing adultery, stealing, or murder are guilty of this sin. Some who have the highest morals, adhere to the command of God, but are guilty of sin of murmuring.
What the murmurers try to do is to get people to become sympathetic to their own point of view and antagonistic towards others point of view. Let us not murmur, rather, let us be content in life. Let us be happy and rejoice always in the Lord (Phil. 4: 4). Let us be thankful to God for our blessings and be characterized by a spirit of gratitude (1 Tim. 2: 1). The root cause of murmuring is discontentment and selfishness. Selfish people want their way and do not like it one bit if they do not get it; therefore, they murmur. Let us never be selfish. Let us always regard others better than ourselves and look out for the interest of others (Phil. 2: 3 – 4).
The danger is, if we continually murmur and complain, we eventually forget all the good God has done for us._ The moment you murmur, grumble and complain, you begin to be unthankful. You become an ingrate. Just like the Israelites, instead of being thankful for God’s mercy, grace, and love; they focused on themselves. They forgot about God’s power and instead murmured. Let your heart be full of merriments, and your countenance be cheerful at all times. “A merry heart make the cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken “(Pro 15:13). Don’t carry the problems of this world on your head, you don’t have the ability to carry them; except you want to commit suicide. Any problem that is outside your circle of influence, don’t force yourself to handle it, learn to escalate issues that are beyond your control. And most importantly; don’t forget to cast all your cares on Jesus, for He cares for you.
PRAYER POINTS:
• Oh God, may I not be guilty of the sin of murmuring, grumbling and complaining in Jesus Name.
• Remove far from me the spirit of selfishness, and give me the spirit of contentment.
CONFESSION:
My Father God, I remain grateful for your blessings upon my life. I will rejoice and be glad in the Lord always.
revmrsudenyi@hopealivechurch.