There’s a story about a farmer who was known for his negative
attitude. One day a neighbor stopped by and commented on the farmer’s
wonderful crop. “You must be extremely happy with this year’s harvest,”
he said. The farmer grudgingly replied, “Well, yes, it looks like a
pretty good one, but a bumper crop is awfully hard on the soil.”

The
people of Israel had the same kind of complaining attitude. God had
miraculously taken care of them during their wilderness wanderings, yet
they constantly complained. For example, they griped about the manna
that God had so graciously provided. Remembering the fish, cucumbers,
melons, leeks, onions, and garlic of Egypt, they whined, “There is
nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (Numbers 11:6). What
ingratitude!

We too sometimes tend to focus on the negatives
rather than the positives of life. We murmur against the Lord when we
should be praising Him for His countless blessings. We let ourselves be
distracted by the disappointments and deprivations that God allows for
our spiritual good.

Whenever we are tempted to grumble, let’s remember Numbers 11:1, “When the people complained, it displeased the Lord.” —Richard De Haan