Know therefore that the Lord your God is God;
He is the faithful God,
keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations
of those who love Him and keep His commands.
Deuteronomy 7:9
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The context surrounding this verse is speaking to the Israelites about the Promised Land—the Promised Land that took the Israelites five books in the Bible to get to. It isn’t until Joshua that we finally see these travelers enter into the promise of God. Many are familiar with the story of the Israelites. I’ve heard it said that the journey they took should have only taken 11 days. However, their journey took them 40 years.
How does one take an 11 day journey and turn it into a 40 year journey? Simple. With God it’s all about timing…His timing. Deuteronomy 7:9 starts off, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God…”. God decides when we are ready for something. But often how we choose to look at our circumstances effects how long something takes. The Israelites complained and complained and complained. {They loved to do them some complaining!}
- Numbers 11:1a says, “Now the people complained about their hardships…”
- Exodus 15:24a says, “So the people grumbled…”
- Exodus 16:2a says, “In the desert the whole community grumbled…”
- Exodus 17:2a says, “So they quarreled…”
From all the complaining they did, one would have never guessed that God would free them from captivity. I mean, that’s kind of big! I myself have never been physically enslaved, but I would imagine it’s a horrible predicament to be in. Yet, and still, they complained.
Here’s the deal: God doesn’t forget His promises. Solomon said it this way,
…O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven or on earth –
You who keep Your covenant of love with Your servants
who continue wholeheartedly in Your way.
2 Chronicles 6:14
We don’t need to complain. We do it because it is an easy habit to start. However, complaining focuses on the negative while praise focuses on the positive. Anytime we choose to complain, we just as easily could have chosen to praise. Praising isn’t overlooking the bad or just ignoring it. It’s simply focusing on the better things in life. Just like complaining is simply focusing on the ‘worser’ things in life. God has done so many things for us, why not focus on those things rather than the things that are wrong. And pray. Philippians 4:6 says,
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in everything,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.
Instead of the Israelites complaining about the fact that they had no water, they should have done as Moses did and prayed. Out of all of those people (a whole community), one person prayed. One. The nation had a negative focus. God is faithful and follows through with His promises.
Trust Him.
Do not complain, but pray.
Then… wait.
And that doesn’t mean complain while you are waiting.
It means wait.
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Lord, help us to keep our eyes focused on You. Let us not forget all the good that You have done for us. I know that it is so easy to complain about the things that we don’t like in our lives or the things that are “wrong”, but this does not glorify You. Why should we draw attention to the negative in our lives when drawing attention to You should be our number one goal? People aren’t going to be drawn to You by hearing about all we do not have…but rather hearing about all that You have done for us. Thank You, Lord.
