” And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”–Exodus 16:2-3

In all honesty, we have nothing about which we can complain.

What do you do when the coffee’s too hot, the line’s too long, or things aren’t what they seemed? Most people complain about anything that does not go according to their plan. We have become a self-centered society that has the “it’s my way or the highway” mentality.

But let’s think about the situation more. You have money to pay for the coffee, you have the ability to stand in that line, and clothes are always at your disposal. Many places in the world do not have these luxuries. And yet we complain when one little thing goes wrong.

The Israelites had been delivered from bondage in Egypt through God’s miraculous parting of the Red Sea. They had been given freedom, a new land, and many of Egypt’s riches; yet they complained. How much more selfish could they have been? Yet we are equally as guilty in our lives.

Once saved, we have a home in Heaven, riches unspeakable, and a God who loves us more than words can describe. And we complain about coffee? We have been blessed with more than most people have! But if salvation had been the only thing God had given us, it would be far greater than anything else in life.

Do you ever find yourself complaining over petty things? We have all gotten frustrated and complained about things that went wrong. Ask God to forgive you for complaining. Today, promise God that you will try not to complain. Every time you catch yourself murmuring, thank God for something He has given you. Try to go the entire day without complaining. Because honestly, we have nothing about which we can complain. (By Dr. Paul Chappell)

“Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me; for all is vanity and vexation of the spirit.”( Ecclesiastes 2:17)

Chuck Swindoll writes:

In this ragged-edged reality called earthly existence, life is somewhere between sad and bad. All it takes is a quick look around to discover why we line up to watch fantasies that take us to galaxies far, far away. Who wouldn’t want to escape from an existence as boring and painful as ours? For many, it’s downright horrid. It’s drug abuse. It’s sleepless nights. It’s headaches. It’s heartaches. It’s hate, rape, assault, jail sentences. It’s sickness and sorrow. It’s broken lives. It’s distorted minds. Mainly, as Solomon discovered long ago, it’s empty. There’s nothing down here under the sun that will give you and me a sense of lasting satisfaction. It is planned that way! How else would we realize our need for the living God?

I don’t care how good your professional practice is, much of it is boring. I don’t care how big your house is or how exciting your future is. I don’t care how hard you work or how large your paycheck or how sincere your efforts, when you boil life down to the nubbies . . . when the lights are turned off at night, you’re back to reality–its boring and horribly empty. To quote Solomon the realist, it is like chasing the wind.

You work so that you can make money, so that you can spend it, so that you can work and make more money, so that you can spend it, so that you can get more, which will mean you spend more, and you work harder to make more. So goes this endless cycle called ‘striving after wind.’

That explains why people will line up by the millions to view a fantasy on film and sit in silent amazement at someone’s imaginary world of imaginary characters who do imaginary things–because life under the sun is so dreadfully, unchangingly boring.

To put it bluntly, life on planet Earth without God is the pits. And if I may repeat my point (Solomon does numerous times), that’s the way God designed it. He made it like that. He placed within us that God-shaped vacuum that only He can fill. Until He is there, nothing satisfies

Have you ever tried to picture what life would be like without the U. S. military? A few words come to mind: insecurity, vulnerability, fear. The fact is that we would not survive as a nation without our military men and women because no matter how sincere some leaders are in their efforts to deal peaceably with the enemy, there will always be another country ready to bring a fight to our front door. We cannot rid the world of enemies simply by avoiding them; we must have a defense in place.

The same is true of our Christian faith; we must be prepared for opposition from our enemy, Satan, because he is ready to wage war on us at any given moment, especially when God is really working in our lives. And just as our brave men and women in uniform are trained and ready to meet this country’s opposition head on, we must spend time training in the Word, learning how to defend and protect ourselves against the wiles of the Devil.

It’s like the Roman strategist, Flavius Vegetius, said, “Let him who desires peace prepare for war.” So, put on the armor of God and gear up!   —–From Turning Point

The love of Jesus wins us. His glory charms us. His beauty attracts us. His sympathy soothes us. His gentleness subdues us. His faithfulness inspires us. He is the altogether lovely One! Jesus is all that is tender in love. Jesus is all that is wise in counsel. Jesus is all that is patient and kind. Jesus is all that is faithful in friendship. Jesus is all that is balmy, soothing, and healing. The heart of Jesus is ever loving towards His children. The disposition of Jesus is ever kind towards His children. The nature of Jesus is ever sympathizing towards His children.

Jesus is your Brother, your Friend, your Redeemer. As your Brother, He knows the needs of His brethren in adversity. As your Friend, He shows Himself friendly. As your Redeemer, He has redeemed your soul from sin and hell. Jesus has ascended up on high to take possession of heaven on your behalf, and to prepare a place for you! Upon His heart He wears your name as a precious pearl in the priestly breastplate. There is not a moment of your time, nor an event of your life, nor a circumstance of your daily history, nor a mental or spiritual emotion of yours, in which you are not borne upon the love, and remembered in the ceaseless intercession of Christ.

–Octavius Winslow (1808-1878)

Psalm 61:2
From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Eric ran back and forth behind the crowd. The parade was coming, and he really wanted to have a good spot to watch it from. Everyone was so much taller than he was. Wherever he went, somebody was standing in front of him. In frustration, he began to cry. Suddenly, two strong hands lifted Eric up and placed him on shoulders high up above the mass of people. From the vantage point of the stranger’s shoulders, the entire parade was easy to see.

Sometimes we need a boost. Problems loom too large, and we can’t see our way around them. Pressures build up, and we don’t feel big enough to cope with them. God sees all that and He is ready to lift us up; to give us a new vantage point. Reach up to the Lord, and He will lead you to Himself, a rock which is higher than any problem we might have. (From Wisdom from the Psalms).

I remember preaching from this verse many years ago at a funeral service for a teen age boy who had been killed in a car wreck. I witnessed the power of this great truth as God imparted strength to the heart-broken parents. He can do the same for you. Ask Him to raise you up above the sorid things of this evil world and help you gain a new perspective. He did it for others He will do it for you.