How discouraged Moses must have been when the children of Israel murmured against him. (Exodus 16:2-3 and Numbers 1 1:4-5) In Numbers 11:14, Moses said "I am not able to bear all this people alone because it is too heavy for me." The Israelites remembered only the good food they had in Egypt and forgot that they had cried out to God for help because of their bondage (Exodus 3-9), and he had delivered them. They were like many of the people today. They don't want to endure hard times, even if they bring spiritual rewards in the future. We in America have been taught through TV, songs, games, and peer pressure to want better homes, better cars, better jobs, sexual gratification right now, without any sacrifice of pleasure, or thought of future consequences. This perpetuates to where we, as parents, have to rush to the store to buy new toys, new games, new clothes, etc., because we cannot allow our children to be "unhappy," and we allow them to complain until we give in. Proverbs 19:18 "let not thy soul spare for his crying." (Do what is best for him). "Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp." {Numbers 11:1} In verse 2, the people cried to Moses, Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire was quenched. Twenty times, just in Exodus and Numbers, the people murmured, or were murmuring, and God was not pleased. Moses prayed many times for God to spare them.

When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brethren and sold to Potiphar, the captain of the guard, we are never told that he complained, murmured, or became discouraged. We are told that God made Joseph prosper and showed him mercy and gave him favor. (Genesis 39:21 and Genesis 38:21) Joseph fled from fornication with Potiphar's wife. Joseph asked "can I sin against God," and he fled. The obvious answer was "no"! Later, Joseph interpreted the butler's dream, but the butler forgot him for two years. (Genesis 40:23; Gen. 41:1) After being exalted to second in command to Pharaoh, he tells his brethren in Genesis 45:7-8 that God sent him there to preserve them and save their lives. He could have complained and murmured about his plight as servant and prisoner, became discouraged when it took such a long time to become exalted, but from all indications he served well as servant and prisoner and was patient while God's will for him came to fruition. His brethren certainly showed lack of brotherly kindness, but Joseph forgave them because he was a godly man. (Genesis 50:15-18)

What about Job? He lost his sons and daughters, his wealth, and his health. "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil." {Job 1:1} Yet, when he lost all of his sons, daughters, and wealth, what did he do? Job 1:20-22 tells us Job fell down on the ground and worshipped-said the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord-in all this Job sinned not. In Job 2:7, when Job was covered with sore boils, he sat down among the ashes and scraped his boils. His wife told him to curse God and die. He did not blame God. His friends thought he had sinned, and Job called them miserable comforters. (Job 16:2) Because of Job's misery, he did wish he had not been born and that he could die. (Job 3, 6,and 10) Job complained and was discouraged, but he did not turn away from God, and God blessed him with more children and doubled his wealth from what it was before. (Job 42) Read Job 28:28. Job was a godly man, but he did suffer. Perhaps, he thought of this statement many times.

We find the apostle Paul in many situations that would cause us to complain and become discouraged. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, we find a summary of his trials and sufferings. Could we be strong after being beaten 195 times, 3 times beaten with rods, being stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19), shipwrecked, weary, hungry, thirsty, cold and naked. He had been in serious danger from robbers, his countrymen (who hated him enough to try to kill him Acts 2:31;25:3), the heathen, in the city and in the wilderness, in the sea and among false brethren. Paul says: "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." {2 Corinthians 12:10} Even though the Jews hated Paul and sought to kill him, he continued on and desired their salvation. "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved." {Romans 10:1}

We have such a great example in Jesus, in all he gave up and suffered for our salvation. He came down from the glory of heaven and the presence of God to live and die upon this earth of sin and sorrow. In Matthew 8:20, in answer to a scribe who would have followed him, Jesus saith unto him: "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Jesus and his disciples were hungry and plucked corn to eat on the Sabbath day. (Matthew 12:1) This was one of many times he was ridiculed. Another time when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, the Jews became very angry, took him up to the edge of a hill, and would have cast him down to kill him. But He passed through the midst of them and went his way. (Luke 4:28-30) In John 6:66, we find that many of Jesus' disciples left him and walked with him no more. Three times, his apostles were asleep when Jesus needed their support and prayers in Gethsemane prior to his death. (Matthew 26:36-46)

REMEMBER: Israel, and how it angered the Lord and troubled Moses when they complained and murmured time and time again after God had delivered them from bondage, affliction, and suffering. Could we become more content?

REMEMBER: Job, Paul, and Jesus as they went through so many physical difficulties, yet kept their eyes on what was pleasing to God. Can we become strong in weakness?

REMEMBER: Joseph when his brothers mistreated him and forsook him. Jesus, when He was deserted by his disciples in the time of His greatest need. Job, when his friends falsely accused him of sinning and his wife gave him ungodly advice. Can we remember God's ways are always best?

REMEMBER: Joseph when sexual immorality seeks to snare us, and flee as Joseph did. David's son, Amnon committed sexual immorality with Tamar because he thought he loved her. Immediately, he no longer "loved" her and later lost his life at the hand of Absalom. (2 Samuel 13:14-15,29)

ETERNAL LIFE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD WILL BE FAR MORE WONDERFUL THAN ANYTHING WE COULD EVER HAVE ON EARTH. (Revelation 21:1-4; 22:14)

This has been, and continues to be, a problem for God's children. Read your Bible, when God's people had less, they were more faithful to God. Maybe what some of our brethren need is some "intense suffering." Just a thought! --KG