Thankful in Times of Need - Part 2 of 4

Humans are creatures of habit. We like the security of the familiar, so the unfamiliar can be a scary place. Egypt was a familiar place to the Israelites. They had been in slavery for a few hundred years and were used to relying on their oppressor’s resources. Of course it was a place of terrible slavery, but at least they had access to plenty of food and water.

They could see, hear, feel, taste, and touch Egypt, but they couldn’t do the same with God. It made more sense to rely on man’s resources, even if it came from the hand of the Egyptians, rather than from the hand of God. You see, the idea of supernatural provision just didn’t make much sense to them. Since they didn’t believe that God would continue to look after them, they began to complain bitterly. Instead of having faith in the invisible God (who had demonstrated His abilities and favor toward them), they had fear of the visible desert.

Don’t we also find comfort in what’s familiar to us? There’s a strong sense of security in a steady job and income. Even if the pay is low, it’s better than the feeling of not knowing where and when the money will come from next. What if God asked us to give up that steady income, move from our home with our family, and go to a place that we’ve never seen? Before going out into the unknown, we would have had a certain amount of security and control over our lives. If that were taken away, all we would have left would be God and His love and mercy.

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Thankful in Times of Need - Post 1 of 4

When Moses and the Israelites had to flee Egypt, how did they respond to adversity? Perhaps you have heard that story or read it several times and concluded that they were an unthankful and ungrateful people. After all, they had God performing miracles before their eyes. Why should they grumble and complain?

Actually, it’s easier to point out their faults while ignoring our own. In this series, “Thankful in Times of Need,” we’ll take a closer peek into their lives, which will offer us a greater understanding of them and, consequently, ourselves.

The Israelites were excited when they first set out from Egypt. Not only did they gain their freedom, but they won the respect of their oppressors too. God’s favor toward the Israelites was so powerful that they were able to ask the Egyptians for their gold, silver, and clothing (Ex. 12:35&36).

God gave His people a great victory that day without their having to give their husbands and sons to war. How astonished they must have felt at their swift and glorious release. However, these feelings didn’t last long. Soon they found themselves trapped: the Red Sea was in front of them, and the entire Egyptian army behind them. What now? Had God lied? Could He pretend to love them one moment and then abandon them the next?

We all know that the Israelites did make it across the Red Sea as God miraculously parted the waters and dried the ground under their feet. And God gave them another great victory when the sea collapsed on top of the Egyptian army and drowned them all.

With that problem behind them, they now faced a new challenge. On the way to the land that God had promised them, they found themselves in the desert and it wasn’t looking too promising. By their complaints, they must have concluded that the desert was not a place to keep a few million people along with their livestock even if it was for just a short trip to a place called the Promised Land.

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