Exodus 16:2-3 The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses, and Aaron in the wilderness. the sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
Psalms 119:36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
Proverbs 18:2 Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.
Proverbs 11:25 A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
Philippians 2:14-15 Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become harmless, children of God.
John 6:43 Jesus answered and said to them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.”
James 5:9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
I am not a camper. I would go and enjoy it if it was a pull trailer equipped with kitchen amenities, a raised bed, certainly not my sleeping bag on the ground where it does not matter how carefully I rake the area before I out my bag down, there are sticks and stones that poke my body, even when I wriggle away. NO, that is not for me. But a 23′ foot pull trailer with propane AC/heating, my little kitchenette stove/oven, my microwave, and fridge, my decent closet, and albeit toilet and shower are TINY, it is indoors, and certainly works for the tasks I need to complete. A few plugs take care of sewer out, electric in, and I am a good camper. I would have been burned up early on if I was with the Israelites. I would have been grumbling. ‘How do I even put the pole is so I can secure this tent covering? Is there a tent covering or is all my mess visible to all?’
Oh, yes, I would have been grumbling, shamefully (well now I feel ashamed of the harridan I would have been) and loudly. So for me to imagine the daily life and wanderings of the Israelites is overwhelming. I can even easier picture the American Indians moving on and following their prey and food source, and living their simplistic life better than the idea of the poor Israelites, several MILLION people, making camp, living in camp. You were banished outside the camp when you were defiled, and when you had to use the toilet. So do you wonder how far they had to wander for that? I certainly do.
I can’t even imagine the team work necessary to put up camp, break down camp, and then add the temple and all its holy objects; corral and feed and care for all these animals. How much water does that take to feed the many herds? How long does it take to just breakdown a household, still have food available for whining children, nursing infants, and so forth? It is more than my mind can even begin to guess at. Yet this is how these folks lived for forty years. Granted they didn’t travel daily, yet, sometimes they traveled for several days without stopping. This was to coordinate a few MILLION people to be in teamwork all working toward a goal of packing or putting up, and each with its own part of that process. Some broke apart their own households, all had to carry things, all needed to be ready to move out when it was their turn according to which of the twelve tribes they belonged. It all had to be coordinated for all these people, these animals, and the children.
The Bible does not share with us about sandstorms and the heat and awful dryness daily. Nor does it mention sand everywhere. Here at the beach, I go play for a day, and am so glad to shower aware the grit, sand, and salt of this. Water was not just available at the turn of a knob, sand must have been embedded in hair, sandals, clothing, tents, bedding and might as well jump into the bread and manna since I have no idea what you could put it in for preventing it going everywhere. Oh Yes, I would have been a squawking loon!
During their travels, God gave a bunch of commands and rules and laws—what they could and could not eat, when they were considered clean and unclean, what was considered good, and what was considered not worthwhile. He also gave them the Ten Commandments—and while writing them, the Israelites decided they wanted to have a “god” they could see and worship, something visible to worship. It had only taken a few days for them to mistrust God, and obviously Moses, and they were quick to leave God behind, even after He had delivered water from a rock, parted the Red Sea and ensured their safety while crossing and then ensuring the Egyptians all died as the waters flowed over them. They had experienced all sorts of miracles; yet they chose to run to something THEY constructed, nothing that was a miracle, nothing that would help and feed or supply them with anything.
Although they saw how God helped to ensure they were released from the Egyptians and were promised a land of milk and honey, I wonder how they could so easily be swayed away from God.
I do know that sometimes there are worldly allures that pull us away from God, and temptations which reach out to us. But I do find it hard to think these people could so easily beg Aaron for a visible “god” and then they formed one, threw gold into a pot and formed a molten calf. Aaron had been beside Moses throughout all of this—ten plagues, parting of the Red Sea, seeing water delivered from a rock and so forth. How was it so easy for Aaron to turn aside from his brother and all he had seen? How could he be so easily led away from God and the miracles he had seen and experienced? He was the priest, the religious leader of these people, and yet, he walked away from the true God, within days as his brother was gone for a total of forty days. At the pressure and complaints of the people, he was easily swayed.
How often do we give up waiting, losing patience with God’s promises, and reverting to something to assuage our feelings of loss, frustration, impatience, and try to take matters into our own hands? Certainly, I have railed against waiting, and waiting, and….
Yet, Abraham waited for forty years to have his own son with his wife. He believed and held onto God’s promises. And when God told him to sacrifice Isaac, he willing packed up the supplies, and carried the youngster to the mountain where he’d been told to sacrifice the boy. He trusted God would provide the sacrifice. He waited, expectantly, all the while doing exactly as God commanded
Sara became impatient and encouraged her husband to have a child with her slave. And again, serious issues developed because she had taken matters into her hands; what does it take for us to believe and wait on Him with trust?
There’s an entire book written that encourages us to wait on His promises, that tells us He alone is the ONLY GOD; He alone is with us always; He alone tells us to not fear, not grow weary of trusting in Him. Yet, often, we drift as though on an air mattress tossed into the ocean and without anchor, we doze off, then waking find ourselves much further away from shore than is safe and healthy.
Story after story tells of the need to wait. A savior would be provided; a start would shine in the town to announce the birth; He would be borne of a virgin…. The Israelites waited hundreds of years for a savior. There is always waiting throughout the bible; because that is life. We wait for His promises.
Grumbling and whining only adds to your own blue feelings, but certainly tend to pull others down, no matter how optimistic and hopeful they are. How dare any of us cause others to feel badly? Grumbling is like rapid spreading mold or cancer–it causes damage. Don’t be responsible for damaging and hurting others.
I pray I expend no more impatience –waiting, and acting sinfully, full of my own selfish, self-centered ways. In truth, it has become easier to wait. I believe His timing is perfect. It may still not be my timing preference, but still, I have seen time and again, that He comes and answers. So I’ve learned to hand over my impatience; sometimes, annoyingly it pops back into my head. So, while thinking of it, I either roll it like a large hefty ball in my hands and throw it fiercely aiming for “Satan’s” head; or I pretend it is in my hands, then raise it to God to take away, so I can no longer actually think of it. It’s in His hands; no longer mine to keep as a “god” to worry and therefore, worship over.
God, I thank You for my growth over the years. I still have so very far to go–I still see selfish petulance in me far too often. But You have carried me far and blessed me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Hebrews 8:8-10 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them”, says the Lord. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord: “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.
Jeremiah 31:33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people
Isaiah 59: 21 “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them; My Spirit who is upon, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”
When the Israelites first were led out of Egypt, they grumbled and complained, wished for the certainty of what they had known even though the conditions they had lived under were not wonderful, they knew what those were, and were getting frightened for what they could not see… they could not see where they were going, they feared the travel and the unknown. And how like us. It is easier for us to reach for what we do know, even if we grumbled about not having enough—’we knew what we had and it was familiar—albeit safe.’ Sound familiar?
While in Egypt, the Israelites witnessed the miracles of the plagues God sent on Pharaoh and the Egyptians. There were very few Israelites who suffered the boils that the Egyptians suffered. Most were free or about protected from any of these plagues. They saw this. They saw how they were protected from the loss of their firstborns–animals as well as children. The Israelite slaves were protected from these punishments.
They were told to sprinkle blood over their doorpost with hyssop, kill a perfect lamb and feed as many as they could with the lamb killed—leaving nothing behind, and to stay in their homes while death raged over the Egyptians, and all homes which did not have the mark of the lamb’s blood–and then heard the crying, wailing, and utter bereavement of the Egyptians who had lost their firstborn. They had witnessed miracles.
God through Moses led them all, a few million people into the desert, away from Egypt, and then lifted the sides of the Red Sea so they could ALL traverse across the expanse, away from the Egyptians who had now decided to pursue, and they all made it to the other side. Remember several MILLION persons—young and old, and how many animals? I can not fathom seeing that many people at one time, never mind trying to see all of them hustle across a river with its sides held up as a wall of water on each side to allow them all to pass. THESE WERE BIG MIRACLES, AWESOME, SAVING MIRACLES!
I wonder what God was doing to stall the Egyptians further so they could not overtake them—they had chariots and horses and were now in hot pursuit, and only a few days had passed—yet, again God defeated them. He stalled their progress long enough for all Israelites to travel across the dry Red Sea (not a pond or creek—a Sea!), and reach the other side. And then He turned the Egyptians into the amazing wall of water—‘oh, yes! How awesome, let us scramble across and we will have them! We will capture them and bring them all back! And probably kill Moses and his sound piece while we capture them.’ Ah, not so, says God. And He turned the walls of water upon them, killing all.
The Israelites were leaving what they knew, unsure of where they were going, but they DID know why—their grumbling had been answered, and He had sent a leader to lead them from Egypt—and they were being fed, saved from the Egyptian army when Pharaoh had a change of heart, they were intact as a HUGE group of people and livestock. And yet they grumbled and doubted and feared.
God appeared to them in a cloud by day and a fire by night. He was present! Always! He supplied food, water, safety, guidance, and leadership. But these people still grumbled and moaned, wondering about this, and complaining about that. They experienced and saw, and yet still DOUBTED! No wonder Jesus proclaimed, “How blessed are they who have not seen, yet believe.” (John 20:29).
I can’t even imagine the team work necessary to put up camp, break down camp, and then add the temple and all its holy objects. Corral and feed and care for all these animals. How much water does that take to feed the many herds? Just to breakdown a household, still have food available for whining children, nursing infants, and so forth is more than my mind can even begin to guess at. Yet this is how these folks lived for forty years. Granted they didn’t travel daily, yet, sometimes they traveled for several days without stopping. This was to coordinate a few MILLION people to be in teamwork all working toward a goal of packing or putting up, and each with its own part of that process. Some broke apart their own households, all had to carry things, all needed to be ready to move out when it was their turn according to which of the twelve tribes they belonged. It all had to be coordinated for all these people, these animals, and the children.
And God continued to lead them through Moses, to care for them, to provide for them, to discipline them and remind them He alone is their God, He alone is their provider. And seeing this, daily, there was still doubt. I can not claim I don’t have fleeting times of anxiety. I do. But I also know and BELIEVE He has a plan, and I will be well cared for, and I have a wonderful home of eternal life down the road, so I can send Satan and his lies about needing to be fearful and anxious and full of grumbling away, because the fight’s been won.
Thank You, Jesus for reminding me whenever my doubts and anxieties loom, that You already won the battle for me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” Revelations 21:5
I saw some lovely daffodils in bloom today. They were not full and vibrant, but there were a couple of yellow dancing blooms setting among the green leaves, on bouncing stems as the breeze dashed around them. Today is February 5! Daffodils in early February. ‘OH, maybe that is just one area planted around a tree?’ But no, as my car traveled further up the road, every few yards, there was a young tree, landscaped with pine straw and had fine, hopeful, and determined daffodils poking their heads up and smiling a full blossom. How lovely! Such a perk to one’s spirits so early in the season!
I heard Punxsutawney Phil said we would have a shorter winter season this year, but how amazing to see these dainty dandy daffodils dancing when by the calendar, winter is only halfway through!
Then a bit of red caught my eye. Yep, sure enough a brave bud was showing its royal rosy ruby blossom on an azalea bush. There was just one opened amongst several struggling blossoms. Two nights ago we’d had a freeze, and now these blooms were swaying with a kind of defiance; they seemed to say, ‘Cold or no, we are here to bring cheer, hope and thoughts of spring.’ And they did.
And lastly, on that drive back to the beach from the Home of the Azalea Fest in NC, I spotted a camellia bush full of large, showy, snowy white blossoms. Ooooh, thank you, Father, my Creator. These have been FABULOUS gifts for me today. Thank You!
And of course that reminds me of my first winter living in eastern NC. The temperatures were seasonal, the skies were blue, and I went to the store and purchased bulbs, and plants, pansies, and young bushes. I lost almost all of them later than night. But lessons learned. No matter the date, things happen in God’s time. So I am thankful that it was time for all these blossoms I enjoyed today. Blessings.
And today, it was time for a few of God’s bulbs to erupt with hope and cheer, some bushes shared their bounty. Thank You….AGAIN….for all the blessings.
Genesis 9:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth
Deuteronomy 4:13 He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets.
Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Deuteronomy 31:8 the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Hebrews 8:8-10 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah—“not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people
Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.
Jeremiah 31:33 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people
Isaiah 59: 21 “As for Me,” says the Lord, “this is My covenant with them; My Spirit who is upon, and My words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants’ descendants,” says the Lord, “from this time and forevermore.”
I have read through the bible several times, and each time find different verses, ideas, meanings that I missed. It’s my belief that God unveils His messages as we need them or are mature enough to understand them. The Bible is a living book that touches your heart and soul with the guidance for where you are at any given time.
I will certainly confess that initially I did NOT like reading the Old Testament, especially Numbers and Leviticus. It was not important, nor clear to me to know how many cubits something was, or how many shekels of gold or silver were donated from each tribe. Over the years, and with various teachings whether through church, listening to classes, or the opening of my understanding by the Holy Spirit, I have gotten a lot more out of it.
One of the concepts I missed for a long while was the word covenant. And frankly, I have no idea how often my eye skimmed over the word with little comprehension to how important it is to God and His people. But a covenant is very important to God; and it is SUPPOSED to be to us also. It is not supposed to be a casual agreement. In the Bible, a covenant is the conditional promises made to humanity by God and revealed in Scripture. God promises to protect His people, the ancient Israelites, IF they kept His laws and were faithful to Him. This is not to say He doesn’t continue to love His people, but He will issue punishment in one form or another for disobedience.
However, they were hugely sinful, selfish, and strong willed and did not follow His laws and commands, and were certainly not faithful to Him, so they were the ones to break the covenants, and He then had to follow through with punishments. Usually, the punishment was banishment to another country where they were prisoners and forced to work for others in conditions harsher than they lived in Israel and Judah; they were slaves, having to serve others.
But in the Old Testament, God, realizing that no matter how He provided for them, how He was present with them, they were selfish, hard-headed and hard-hearted, and disobeyed again, and again, and…. They broke the covenants every time. It was not God who let down His side of the agreement.
So God then charged the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah and many others to tell the people that He would send them a savior, a Messiah. His first mention of a Savior was in Genesis after Eve sinned, and He dealt with all three involved in the Fall.
Many years went by, with no prophecy noted in the bible, 450 years from Malachi until John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin began preaching of the Messiah. During that time, with no correction and prophesy from prophets, the Israelites were sinning more and more, and although occasionally mentioned the Savior, the Messiah, they really did not expect Him to ever come. And if He did, then Glory Be!—they all wanted to fight the Roman domination and the difficulties whish was their life at the time.
But the Messiah was a strong, calm, quiet man with a mild manner. Not a warrior! How could He save them? But many followed, believing He somehow would raise an army and win and free them from oppression.
So yes, the new covenant God had told the prophets to speak of and to promise, came, and every prophecy was fulfilled, and yet no one noticed until He reached adulthood. And although He was charismatic, and pulled people to Him, and healed them, freed them from demons, fed them with little supplies which He could multiply, they wondered how He could free them? How could this mild gent lead the war?
But with His death, He took upon Himself all our sins, and days later sent the Holy Spirit and we then had an internal teacher, Counselor, and were able to understand more of the Old Testament, and the many indicators God had promised through the prophets by promising this new “covenant,” His Son, who would take all the sins of the world, allow us to be heirs with Him, if only we would believe Him to be fully man, fully God, that He died and took all our sins, and we confess to Him, asking forgiveness. What a wonderful covenant!
We are free from our due punishment and death if we believe Jesus lived on earth as man while being God, the Son, He willingly suffered and died on the cross taking ALL the sins of those who believe in God, rose from death, and ascended to heaven—and that defeated Satan and death.
Yes, Satan is still alive, but he knows he must scramble to gather souls as Jesus has saved many, wants to save any who are willing to believe in Him and follow Him. Satan does not want to perish in hell with just a few…. Afterall, misery loves company.
But we are saved by the covenant of God sending His Son to free us from death and sin by believing in His life and Death, rising, and living now, seated at His Father’s right hand. That sounds and seems like a win-win to me. What could be the downside? Free from sin, eternal life in heaven (versus the fires and sulfur of hell—cough, cough), and reassurance that we have nothing to fear. “For He is with us and will never forsake us.”
I have two favorite covenants—my freedom knowing Christ is God and Man and died for me and freed me for eternity; and the rainbows. Such visible beauty, promising to never send another flood to fill the earth again.
God, my Father, You as Creator, with Your Son, and with the Holy Spirit have freed me, given me rest, and the covenant of life eternal with you. Thank You. My life is so much easier and without anxious burdens. You have freed me and ‘mybellaviews.’
Psalm 34:17-19 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
Psalm 94:18-19 When I thought, “My foot slips,” your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
I have for years had issues with SAD, seasonal affective disorder. Gosh, the slumps in mood and activity were awful feeling. I went to work in the dark, came home in the dark, and just had little appreciation for anything winter brought.
I felt a bit better living in Germany. This probably was easier since I was outside walking, enjoying the fresh air, the wonderful countryside, and just the appreciation of being able to live in another country and learn other’s customs. Although I worked full time, the hours were not the 10-hour days I’d been doing in my prior job in the states, I worked from 8-4:30, so there were still a couple of daylight hours left. I enjoyed meeting all the various military and dependents and the various roles I handled in the clinic. I did not have the awful oppression I had felt during the winter living in New England.
But this year, the shortest daylight hours of the year, December 22, did not seem as dark and short as at other years. Living at the beach is a wonderful blessing, I have the lovely eastern sky out one side of my home with sunrises: and the western sky with glorious sunsets. And for the past several months how the sunrises and sunsets have radiated lovely colors! I serve a wonderful Creator and Artist! And how fortunate to recognize it and give Him thanks for some gifts He generously bestows.
Need Media sunrise, sunset
I am so thankful that my winter blues seem to be easing, and certainly the end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 have me rejoicing with the days appearing longer, and what a vibrant collection of colors we have been bestowed—lavenders, pinks, oranges, grays, and blues. WOW!
Thank You, Lord for not even having chosen me, but handing me gifts abundantly—flowers, weather, animals, whether pets, birds and so forth. Thank You for my family, both biological and church, my eyes which see, my hearing, my taste, my friends, Your over-indulgence with gifts to me. Thank You for the path You have given me and “mybellaviews.”
Hi, I'm Kathy. Welcome to my website!