trust.

I guess we live in a culture where we've gotten somewhat desensitized to the majesty and power of the Lord we serve.  We talk to Him in our human, cultural idioms calling Him homeboy and Daddy and forgetting sometimes that we are talking to the Creator of the universe.  Yes, He has come near to live in our hearts.  Yes, He loves us with an everlasting, fierce love.  Yes, He longs for us to come to Him.  Yes, He can handle our hurts and complaints.

BUT ... I got hit in the face this morning with the reality of what my complaining is saying ... to the Creator God, omniscient, omnipresent God.  Could it be that my complaining says, "I don't trust you!"??  YIKES!

Numbers 11:20 seems to indicate that that was the case for the Israelites as they continued to bellyache about their manna buffet.  I mean, I'm not judging them.  I cannot say that I would not do the same.
"... you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?”

Oh how I can identify here.  But I don't want to miss the faith training here.

We all complain.  As a matter of fact, try going a whole day without complaining about ANYTHING and you realize just how much complaining we do ... it's too hot, it's too cold, I'm hungry, this line is so slow, that driver cut me off ... well, you get it.

But some of our complaints go deeper than that.  They cut all the way to to trust. 
Where do we do this?  When is our heart drawn to bitter complaint?  In this complaint is there any possibility that I might be guilty of implying, 'God, I was better off without you.'"

God can take our honesty.  There are places where that honesty truly brings health and healing.  However, there is a fine line between an honest heart cry and a bitter complaining spirit. 

In The Land Between, Jeff Manion goes on to say:
"The Land Between may provide out greatest opportunity for transformational growth, but it also provides an enormous opportunity for bitter resentments to flourish - for faith to shrivel ... Throgh choosing to complain, the Israelites forfeit the opportunity to become people of faith.  Which each difficulty, God is whispering, 'Will you trust me?'  With each collective complaint, they yell, 'No, we will not.'"

Oh that we would learn from their mistakes ... and successes to embrace the training God brings to our life to trust Him more.  Think I'm gonna go enjoy today's manna and get ready for the day!