Have you ever experienced something great happen and it leads to somebody else complaining about the very same thing that you are excited about? It's interesting to think that something from one vantage point can appear to be such a blessing and from another it seems like misery. This is actually not a new phenomena, we can see at as early as the book of Exodus when Moses leads his people and God is providing for them in the desert.
"Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days." - Exodus 16:11-12
God works. People complain. The Israelites had no food and God provides it for them and they get upset because they want meat. Doesn't this happen all the time? It's like all of us fall into the trap that we believe that if God isn't working according to the method we have in our minds than it's not acceptable. God's blessing us with manna, but we just want meat. Fill in the blank; God's pouring out his blessing through __________________, but we complain about ______________________.
How Does God Respond?
Moses takes the issue to God and for whatever reason God listens. It seems a bit odd; why even consider a complaint that the blessing you have isn't good enough? But God listens anyways. How often do we immediately put up barriers when people start complaining? When someone complains to you, it may not be a correct accusation but it may be helpful to listen. God provides some meat and Moses gives instructions and of course even in the midst of even more blessing and provision, people still don't learn.
"Howver, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them." - Exodus 16:20
God responds in such a great way to these complaining people by listening and then even giving them what they want. We can learn a thing or two by simply listening even when we don't want to. And we can also be sure that sometimes people just kept doing the same thing over and over.
Photo Credit: SteveWall