#DailyDevotion Don’t Despair Of God’s Grace And Mercy Towards You
Easter Week 6 Thursday of the Ascension
Read Num 11:1–23, 31–35
Num 11:4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat!…10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased…9 You shall not eat just one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, (20) but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before him, saying, “Why did we come out of Egypt?”‘”…32 And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. (33) While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD struck down the people with a very great plague.
Now it wasn’t the whole of the Israelites but a rabble among them that was complaining. They were crying for meat to eat and were getting resentful towards the Lord who had delivered them from the Egyptians. They had forgotten the Lord’s great mercy towards them and they were longing for the good old days back when they were enslaved. A craving, a lust developed in these people. So much so they despised the Lord’s provisions, forgot all they had seen the Lord do for them, and they had forgotten the Lord’s mercy towards them. Did they pray to the Lord? Did they bring their complaint in faith to the Lord? No. They complained about the Lord. The Lord was displeased towards them.
So the Lord planned to demonstrate to his people that he could provide for them more than they needed. He hoped I guess those who were not part of the rabble would a. be warned about complaining and losing faith in the Lord and b. be assured of his ability to take care of all their needs. So he fulfilled his promise to Moses and they had more than they could ever eat. And as a warning to those who did not complain, the rabble as the meat was just in their teeth, before they could enjoy it were struck with a plague and they died there.
Do we complain about what the Lord God has done for us in Jesus? Have we forgotten his mercy, kindness and forgiveness in Christ? Do we despair of his providence and his promises so that we complain about the Lord instead of bringing our concerns, desires and wants in faith? Jesus has taught us God knows what we need before we ask him but to seek his kingdom and righteousness and all these things shall be added unto us. He does not lie so let us not despair of this mercy towards us. Each day has enough trouble of its own and Jesus promises the Father is with us and he is with us throughout it all. The cross is ever a sign to us of his great love for us spiritually and physically.
Heavenly Father, grant us such faith and good spirits that we may never despair of your mercy but always by your grace bring all our request, supplications, worries and desires to the throne of your grace trusting that you are always taking care of us and meeting all our needs of the day. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.