Thank God and Complain

Exodus 15

Thank God and then complain....  The Israelites did a lot of that...  I think it's possible that so do we.

Moses, Miriam and all the Israelites sing songs to the Lord in thankfulness that their enemy has been defeated.  And then three days into the wilderness they are thristy and complaining against Moses because he's led them to a place where the water is bad and there is nothing to drink.  Of course, the Lord ends up providing, as is His way.  But, he also has a reminder, a word, to go with the water:  to listen to him, to heed his statutes, that all might go well with them.  They have drank from the bitter waters made sweet by the Lord, they have heard his word, and they move on to a place, Elim, where there is plenty of water: twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees.  They camp and are refreshed beneath these palm trees beside the water.

Rejoice and complain and rejoice, again.  That seems to be the litany for God's children.  Is that not what we do?  On Sunday mornings, God's children (at least some of those who claim to follow him) gather together to Worship Him, to give Him thanks and praise, and to be refreshed by the Word and Sacraments.  We gather on Sunday mornings and then what do we often do the rest of the week?  How much time is spent in actually following Him, living and rejoicing so that the whole world will hear the good news of our salvation?  How much time is spent complaining that we don't have what we want, when we want it? 

I think it might not hurt us and may even help us if we spent a little more time contemplating and rejoicing that we have been freed from the bondage, to sin, death, and the power of the devil through the life giving gift of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  While our wells may run dry, His never does.