IMO: You Deserve to Be Happy - Tuesday
Numbers 11:4b-6
…again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!” (NIV)
When you hear the phrase “the good old days,” what do you think of? Maybe you think of your childhood and running around barefoot playing Capture the Flag or hanging out with your buddies from high school. Life seemed so simple and easy before bills and taxes, right? But if you really think about it, when you were a kid, you were probably excited to be a little bit older and have money, a job, or a driver’s license.
In our passage today, we see the Israelites complain, “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
Oh how quickly the Israelites forgot about God’s generous provision for them. God provided manna to rain from Heaven in the wilderness so His people wouldn’t starve, yet the Israelites are now complaining about the lack of variety in their food. They have grown ungrateful, even to the point of looking back with longing on their time in Egypt. They remembered they had better food there, but they seemed to forget the fact that they were in slavery.
Oftentimes we fill in the blank: “Life was better when ______” or “Life will be better when _____.” We can fill in the blank with lower gas prices, more money, etc., but we will always struggle with discontentment if we don’t cultivate a practice of gratefulness no matter the circumstance.
Tuesday’s Reflection
Start today a daily practice of gratitude. This could look like writing a list in your journal, verbally thanking God in prayer, or taking a picture everyday on your phone of something you’re grateful for. Make a conscious effort to live with a grateful heart, starting today.
