Psalm 78
Oh those Israelites, how they were so quick to want more than they received, how they were so quick to turn to grumbling, how they were so quick to forget God. Thank the heavens that we are not like them...or perhaps we are.
After all we show ingratitude: How many times has God provided for us in our daily lives and then we question why God doesn't provide more?
After all we have our grumblings: How many times have we had strength to go on in times of trouble but then question why God lets bad things happen to us?
After all we show our forgetfulness: How many times do we receive blessings and then act like we've yet to be blessed?
And we have a written account of what Israel went through, the Israelites mainly had an oral tradition which may or may not have been very accurate depending on the day and the author of it. And we also live on this side of the manger the cross and the empty tomb. And we live on this side of Paul's letters. And we have 2000 years of further teaching and preaching. Add all of that together and you still get a group of ungrateful forgetful grumblers. And believe me when I say we I am definitely including myself in that group, like Paul before I might say that I am the worst of sinners.
Luckily our ingratitude, our forgetfulness, our grumbling is not the end of the story, no, the end of the story is like the beginning of the story still, God keeps reaching out, God keeps holding back God's full judgment, God shows mercy and grace, God is love. So, let us try again to be thankful, to remember, to show praise, because our God is still speaking in hopes that we will listen.
+ Think on times when you have been ungrateful, forgetful, and grumbled, what can you do to help yourself not fall into those ways again?
+ Do you believe that God is still reaching out and speaking today? Why or why not?
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