“Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.”
(1 Corinthians 10:10)
The 40-year journey of faith the Israelites took from Egypt to the Promised Land is a detailed demonstration of the incredible way God guides and provides for His people. Despite their numerous hardships, this story stresses the importance of trust and gratitude in the believer’s life and the transformative power of listening to and obeying God’s voice.
These experiences of God’s people teach us the value of embracing our own walk with the Lord with a full heart of faith. Like us, they faced moments of doubt and fear. But pushing through those moments with prayer, obedience, and absolute trust in the faithfulness and love of our Sovereign God is what leads us to our own spiritual Promised Land. Their story encourages us to realize our challenges are part and parcel to the larger, comprehensive plan God has for us.
For not only does our Heavenly Father know what’s best for us, the very purpose for our redemption is that we become more Christ-like in spirit and character and to bring glory to God Almighty and His Son, our Savior, by the way we live. And we cannot accomplish these aims without learning to trust that He is faithful to perform what He has promised.
Seeing life’s hard times from God’s perspective shifts our focus from murmuring and complaining to recognizing and depending on His presence and provision. And by cultivating a heart of gratitude for the everlasting love and attentive care of our Almighty God, we open the door to fully experiencing the peace – and even joy – that only God can give in the middle of any storm or circumstance.
Instead of seeing difficulties and challenges as obstacles to trip us up, we can approach them as opportunities that can deepen our relationship with God. Times of hardship become moments to listen more intently to God’s Word, to rest in His strength, and to explore the depths of His love for us. Such experiences can then move us from a posture of complaint to one of praise, from questioning God’s plans to embracing His will with an open, trusting heart.
By celebrating God’s guidance and provision, we not only enrich our own spiritual journey but we also become beacons of hope and faith to those around us.
William Gouge said, “From examples like these we have of the Israelites… the Apostle gives this admonition to Christians, “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer,” for they tempted God, and the destroyer came.”[1] Their story serves as a powerful reminder that when we listen to and trust God’s voice, we unlock the fullness of His blessings and enter into a life marked by divine guidance, grace, and His providential care.
Contemplations:
- Lord, I understand that a discontented, ungrateful disposition reveals my lack of trust in you. Murmuring and complaining only shows my lack of faith in your goodness, power, wisdom, truth, mercy, and other divine providences.
- Lord, one of the most valuable advantages afforded those who patiently wait on your timing for accomplishing your purposes is the peace of God that accompanies that kind of faith.
- The faithfulness of my God who cannot lie assures me that he will deliver on his promises, and I choose to trust him to deliver.
- Lord, I must wait on your promises with patience. For the fruition of the good things promised will be realized by those who patiently wait for them.
Further References for 1 Cor. 10:10:
Exod. 12:23; Num. 14:2; Phil. 2:14; Prov. 19:3
[1] William Gouge, A Learned and Very Useful Commentary on the Whole Epistle to the Hebrews (London: A.M., T.W., 1655), 81.
