The above words are not swear words - they are the "under the breathe mutterings" of an unsatisfied person. They are complaining words - words that no one else hears but resound loudly in the speaker's ear. They come from the heart and as we mutter to ourselves, often rambling and disconnected, we convince ourselves how unfair life is and how bad we have it. JAKSDLKU is look it at how good others have it and how rough I have it; IHADHK is where is God and why has his love left me; UHDFS is I had a lot better life before and now look at this mess; OUSHD is why does everyone hate me; and finally ODSSHjk is give me what we need or I will doubt your love.
Others do not understand these words but we do - and so does God.
Grumbling is ultimately a challenge to God - a test. God, if you really loved me, you would do this and since you don't do this - you don't love me. And therefore I have a right to tell You how nasty You are!!
Thank God He is God and not man and He does not play our petty games.
What does He do with our grumblings? Well, what do we do when we hear others grumble? We either agree - yes look at how bad God is or how bad that person is or how bad our circumstances are and we really deserve better - or we get frustrated and come down hard - don't you know there are people starving all over the world and you complain about ... .
God doesn't do that. Why? Because He is God. Israel has just been led out of Egypt, the Egyptian army has been defeated as Israel walked on the dry land through the Sea and Miriam has sung her song of praise. How quickly praise turns into grumbling as Israel travels through the desert only finding bitter water - water they could not drink. And they begin to grumble - what are we to drink?
What does God do? He shows Himself as God - abundant , amazing God of mercy! In Exodus 15.25-27 he does two things. He gives Moses a piece of wood that changes the bitter water into drinkable water. And then he leads them to Elim where there were 12 springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped near the water (verse 27). The amazing goodness of God. In the midst of their grumbling, he provides in abundance.
How does God deal with our grumblings. At times He provides in abundant abundance (springs, palm trees, water) and reveals our hearts - how can we grumble against such a gracious and amazing and powerful and loving God? How shameful our grumbling is in the face of this gracious God.
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