64_The deadly sin of grumbling
Ex 15:22-25 Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. 24 And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
Phil 2:14-16 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
In a certain city lived a wealthy businessman who seemed to have it all—wealth, power, and prestige. Yet he was plagued by constant dissatisfaction, always finding something to complain about. One day, his pastor came to visit him. As they conversed, the pastor led the man to a large window overlooking the bustling city below. “What do you see?” the pastor asked.
The businessman replied, “I see people, cars, and buildings.”
The pastor then handed him a small mirror. “Now, what do you see?”
The man said, “I see myself.”
The pastor smiled and explained, “Both the window and the mirror are made of glass. The only difference is that the mirror has a thin silver coating. Sometimes, even a little wealth or comfort can blind us from seeing what God has already provided.”
This story fits in with the journey of the Israelites in Exodus 15:22-25. Despite their miraculous deliverance from Egypt, their joy turned quickly to grumbling when faced with a challenge. They had just seen, and rejoiced loudly with song and dance, at the marvelous deliverance at the Red Sea and their final deliverance from the slavery of Egypt. But the moment they faced difficulty at Marah, where the water was bitter, they began to question God’s plans, his goodness, and his power. Just a little selfishness hides the face of God from us.
The Israelites’ journey reveals a mindset that is all too familiar in our own lives. After the victory at the Red Sea, they assumed that God would take them directly to the Promised Land without any hitches or troubles. However, God’s wisdom and goodness was deeper than they could guess. They went through trials so that they could learn to trust and obey him in small things, relating to their food and drink, before they were faced with larger issues. Their time in the wilderness was not meant to be just a journey to Canaan but a journey of growing faith and dependence on Him. The challenges and troubles in our lives are not interruptions to His plan but essential to it.
Grumbling often stems from having false expectations about God’s promises and a misunderstanding of His purposes. John Calvin noted that God could have easily led the Israelites to fresh water, but instead, He brought them to bitter water to expose the bitterness in their hearts. Exodus 15:25 explains that for God, this was a test. Grumbling, at its core, reveals pride and unbelief—a failure to trust in God’s goodness, wisdom, and sovereignty.
Grumbling may be directed at circumstances, people, or unmet desires. For the Israelites, it began with the lack of drinking water. Starting with the question, “What shall we drink?” or “Did you bring us here to die in the wilderness?,” they went on to openly express their longing to return to Egypt. Their memories betrayed them, by distorting the reality of slavery and minimizing the freedom God had given them.
Similar examples abound throughout Scripture. In Matthew 20:10-12, the Lord recounts the parable of workers in a vineyard. Those hired early in the day grumbled when they received the pay they had agreed upon, simply because he chose, out of generosity, to pay the latecomers the same wage. Their envy blinded them to the generosity of the master. Likewise in Numbers 21:5, the Israelites grumbled about the manna, calling God’s miraculous provision “worthless food,” And in Numbers 22:27-28, Balaam angrily struck his donkey for refusing to move, not realizing that the animal was protecting him from the angel’s drawn sword. These stories reveal that grumbling arises when we fail to see God’s hand in our circumstances.
Grumbling is dangerous because it targets God, not man. Moses reminded them, “Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord,” (Exodus 16:8). This attitude is displeasing to God and has consequences. Paul warns in 1 Corinthians 10:9-10, “We must not grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.” Grumbling robs us of our inheritance and betrays our lack of submission to God’s will as best for us.
So how can we overcome the deadly sin of grumbling? First, let us grow in the spirit of meekness. Meekness acknowledges that God is sovereign, wise, and good. Job meekly confessed, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2).
This submission is symbolized by the piece of wood that God instructed Moses to throw into the bitter water, making it sweet. The cross calls us to die to our ideas of what is good for us, and our desire to have things go our way. The cross demonstrates that in Christ, we share his submission to the will of God as the single purpose of our lives. Meekness transforms bitterness into sweetness by showing us God’s purpose for us.
Second, we need a heart of thankfulness. Paul exhorts us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.” Even when life is hard, God’s love enables us to trust that God’s discipline is for our good. As the writer of Hebrews says, “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11). Instead of complaining, let us give thanks, recognizing that even bitter experiences are life-giving medicine in the will of God.
Third, we must run to pray rather than to grumbling. The Israelites could have cried out to God for help instead of complaining. Prayer shifts our focus from our problems to the One who holds the solution. It acknowledges our dependence on God and waits eagerly and with perseverance for him to act on our behalf.
After turning the water at Marah sweet, God declared, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer.” (Exodus 15:26). God revealed Himself as Jehovah Rapha, the Healer. For those who obey him in faith, the plagues that strike the ungodly will be kept away. Sadly, the Israelites continued to grumble, and eventually missed out on what God had for them. Their story serves as a warning and a call to trust God in all circumstances.
The temptation to grumble is ever-present. It may come when we face unexpected challenges, when things don’t go as planned, or when we compare our situation to others. But we must remember that grumbling blinds us to God’s goodness and hinders our spiritual growth. Instead, let us choose gratitude, meekness, and prayer. When we do, we will experience the sweetness of God’s presence, even in the bitter moments of life.
Let us ask ourselves why we are quick to grumble when life is hard, rather than trusting in God’s sovereign care. Is it because our focus is on what we lack, rather than on giving thanks to God for being Himself? The next time we are tempted to complain, let us remember that the God who turned bitter water sweet is the same God who can transform our trials into blessings. Let us trust Him, for He is Jehovah Rapha, our Healer. God bless.