If I were to ask you to name me what you think is the greatest, most miraculous and powerful event in the entire Old Testament of the Holy Bible, what you say? I believe that many of you would speak of Moses and the exodus event. You have Moses' call from God at the "burning bush" and then all of the miracles surrounding the 10 plagues. In addition, there is the powerful image of the parting of the Red Sea, the Israelites fantastic escape across the dry sea bed, and finally the collapsing of the sea on Pharaoh's army. Who wouldn't consider such occurrences marvelous? Some of you may be thinking, "I wish I had been one of the Israelites who witnessed those things, I'd never doubt God after seeing such things."
You would think so wouldn't you, but how fickle and short our memories often are when it comes to God's blessing and His providing for us. Just three days after the miracle of the Red Sea notice the reaction of God's people when they were in need of water fit to drink:
"And the people complained against Moses, saying, what shall we drink?" (Exodus 15:24)
God performed a miracle through Moses and the bad waters were made good. How quickly the people began to grumble and not have the faith that God was big enough to handle the situation. How quickly people can forget and fail to learn from what God has done in the past. Check out what happened just a few weeks later when it appeared there was a lack of food:
"Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron...the children of Israel said, Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt...You have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." (Exodus 16:2-3)
What kind of sense did it make for the Israelites to think that God went to all the effort of the exodus just to kill them at their journey's beginning? We marvel at such a lack of faith don't we? However, before we throw stones at the Israelites, maybe we need to take a look in the mirror. How often we also complain and I mean about almost everything. I would ask you today to count your blessings, they are all around. It would do us good to look at the people of many "third world" countries who on most any given day would gladly change places with us. God has a good track record. He knows us and will provide for those who trust Him. Difficult and hard to explain times certainly come but God does not forget us. The greatest miracle of the Bible, Jesus coming to seek and save us, teaches us that God cares. Even when we might think our lives are lost in the wilderness, God is present and is working in the lives of those who come to Him in faith!