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Text: Numbers 13:1-14:45
God dislikes grumbling and complaining. When the spies went to check out Canaan, there were ten of them that came back and gave both positive and negative reports. True, they said the land was flowing with milk and honey. They even showed some grapes they brought back. But on the other hand, they talked about how big the people were in that land and were negative about the Israelites conquering the land. They felt that they would not be able to win. Because of this report, the people began grumbling and complaining. The report of those spies had a very big impact on the Israelites.
Never underestimate the power of your words. What you say can have a profound influence on those around you. What the ten spies said about not being able to win against the inhabitants of that land influenced the Israelites greatly. As a result of that report, the Israelites grumbled and complained. And that very act of grumbling and complaining finally cost them their promised land.
In addition, grumbling and complaining gets you no where. All of the Israelites that grumbled and complained that day lost the privilege of entering the promised land. The promised land was a blessing. And the Israelites lost that blessing. A few words carried a high cost. In the same way, a few simple words can carry a high cost with us as well. Philippians 2:14 tells us to “Do everything without complaining or arguing”. (NIV) It is clear in both the Old and the New Testaments that God does not like complaining. Think about your words before you speak. Would you want something you say to cost you a blessing? Let me say it again - our words are very powerful. God instructs us to do everything without arguing and complaining so that we can “become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe”. (NIV) Could it be that the very way we speak could be one of the things that sets us apart from the world? I believe so. Let’s endeavor to be mindful of how we speak. Let’s try to be people who don’t complain when things don’t go as we think they should. Instead, let’s praise the Lord and give thanks for our God is good and He knows what He is doing.
©2008 KRL The T.A.G. Blog www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog
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