Grumbling after Grace - Day 44 Month 2 Week 7 Day 2

Today’s reading (Bible in 1 year) 

Exodus 12:42-14:12 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2012%3A42%20-%2014%3A12&version=NASB1995

Isaiah 34 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2034&version=NASB1995

Matthew 27:1-26 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2027%3A1-26&version=NASB1995

Grumbling after Grace

God leads the people by cloud during the day and pillar of fire during the night.  God tells Moses that Pharaoh’s heart will again be hardened.  Pharaoh changes his mind and wants his slaves back so chases after them and almost catches up.  The Israelites grumble and complain to Moses saying, “didn’t we tell you to leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians?"

The Israelites received a great deliverance and God had shown Himself to His chosen people in so many ways.  They walked out of Egypt taking articles of silver and gold given to them by their Egyptian neighbours.  God revealed His continued presence with them through the miraculous pillar of cloud during the day and pillar of fire by night.  Yet they complained. In my life, God has shown Himself to me and provided for me in so many ways, yet I still have grumbled at times.  I have conveniently forgotten the times when He has shown Himself.  

I was working for a church that was very conservative on its stance of women’s place in the church.  When I was hired, I knew they were conservative but did not realize how conservative!  I was a lifelong Egalitarian (women and men are equal in every way including all leadership roles) and they were very Complimentarian (women and men are equal but that each have different roles, specifically, women could not be leaders over men, and were subservient to them).  Sylvia had become very uncomfortable (the term Stepford Wives comes to mind) in the environment and started to attend a church that was much more akin to our mutual beliefs.  When the leaders of the church became aware of that, I received a text from the lead pastor one Sunday evening with the very short statement, “I hear you’re leaving.”  Ya, I grumbled, just like the Israelites.  I was concerned because we needed the work and the money!  We had moved close to that church when we sold our B&B where we had previously been fired from a church.  God had miraculously looked after us in that loss of income but here I was again, worried that God did not have my back.  Of course, as always, God provided and I started my new job at the very church that was without compromise, Egalitarian.  Side note - I’ve never been fired since then.

God always has a plan.  It's true for the Israelites (we’ll read God’s plan for them tomorrow), it’s true in my story, it’s true in our Isaiah reading that just seems to talk about the destruction of the earth,  and it’s true when Jesus stands before Pilate in our Matthew reading.

Jesus does not respond to a single charge that Pilate relayed to Him.  The only question Jesus answers is:  “are you the King of the Jews?”  Jesus responds with “It is as you say.”  You see, Jesus knows the plan and if He had responded to any of the false charges, he likely would not have been crucified.  But unlike us, Jesus is God and can’t lie so He responds with truth always.

If you are listening to Jesus through His word, or by prayer, and trying to do what He asks of us, then you can be confident that He has a plan for your life.  The plan may seem difficult, or like the Israelites you may feel cornered. You can be confident that if God got you into it, God is still working and He will guide you through it.  

Have a great day!

Steve