Meditate on God’s Strength!
After last week’s post (on complaining) I heard a pastor say that we might complain, if we do not trust God to care for us. Even if we believe we are not slaves and claim all God has offered us, if we do not trust God to provide those needs, then we will still complain out of fear. Our flesh and Satan keep finding ways to get us to disobey God and complain and argue! But if we meditate on God’s strength and past provision, we can better resist the temptation to complain. Please join me as I explore more answers to our flesh’s desire to complain instead of giving thanks.
Our head and our hearts often disagree, so we say we trust God, but our hearts doubt him. Then, even if we believe we are not slaves and deserve all the blessings God promises, we doubt God can give them to us. This is a form of spiritual blinding that Satan uses to get us to look away from all God has done for us today (2 Cor.4:4, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ—who is the image of God,” although this verse is about unbelievers, Satan tries this on believers too.) Satan also blinds us to see God’s provision for the Israelites in the past. The Old Testament is full of promises God made to Israel and then fulfilled, as recently as the 1948 re-creation of Israel as a nation. This is a truth that Satan does not want us to remember, (Psalm 94:14, “For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.”)
We must look back at our lives and see the many ways God has cared for us (Psalm 103:2, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”) Then we need to meditate on God’s strength and power. In verse 32:17, Jeremiah said, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earthy by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” While that verse may seem general, remember to consider the personal ways God has cared for you. He gave you life (Job 10:12 “You gave me life and showed me your unfailing love. My life was preserved by your care.”) He gave you friends, (Proverbs 18:24, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”) He feeds, clothes, and houses you, (Matt.6:31-33 “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”)
Consider the ways Jesus met people’s needs, in the Bible, and realize he will meet your needs too. In John 13:4-5 Jesus washed his beloved disciple’s feet and told them he loved them. He proved it by serving them so humbly. He forgave them over and over, even as he forgives us. Jesus also had the power to raise himself from the dead, so he can surely raise us up in the last day. He has the power to care for us, but we must remind ourselves of his power, so we don’t forget this and begin to doubt him. From those doubts will come the spirit of complaining, just like a slave mentality can cause that complaining (as I explained last week.)
God is faithful, and he has the strength to care for us, so we need never complain. And when you catch yourself complaining, remind yourself of God’s past provision for you, so you can trust him to be strong enough to provide for you today. He will not let you down, just as he did not let the Israelites down in the past, and today. You are his joy!
I pray we have blessed you with this week’s brief post. It was fun to add to last week’s post by as I considered what the second pastor said about complaining. I have been blessed by listening to Christian radio, and listening to the women in two different women’s Bible studies. In this manner I can hear my fellow women (and my teen daughters) talk about the things that concern them. Then I can share what God has shown me and encourage you to stand strong in your faith. May the Lord bless you this week!