The Sin of Ingratitude
Because the nation of Edom (descendants of Esau) refused to let Israel pass through its borders, it was necessary to go around it. (See Num. 20:14–21.) The Edomites occupied the territory extending south from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqabah.
Read Numbers 21:1–5. What were the people’s complaints? Think about all that had happened to them and all that they had gone through. Could there have been some justification for their complaints?
However much they might have thought that they had reason to grumble, the Lord obviously didn’t agree. After all, every day of their travels they had been kept by a miracle of divine mercy. They had all the water they needed, even in a desert; they had bread from heaven to eat, angels’ food (Ps. 78:25); and they had peace and safety under the shadowy cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. There was not a feeble one in all their ranks. Their feet had not swelled on their long journeys, neither had their clothes “waxed . . .old” (Deut. 8:3, 4; Ps. 105:37). No doubt, they had their struggles, their problems, their fears, as we all do. But apparently, focusing only on those problems, they forgot the divine blessings that had been theirs for so long. Indeed, perhaps that might have been their problem: so used to God’s mercy, grace, and provision, they started to take it for granted. And once we take things for granted, it’s very easy to forget about them.
What are some things that you take for granted in your life? Why is that such a foolish thing to do?
The only cure for this is to day by day thank the Lord for what He has given us. This is why praise is so important. God doesn’t need our praise; we need to praise the Lord as much as we can, for this serves as a constant reminder to us of just how much we have to be thankful for to the Lord.
| Write out your own psalm of praise. Put in it all things that you have to be thankful for. Imagine if you were to sing it every day. How could this help you from falling into the sin of ingratitude and the dangerous traps it can lead to? |
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