March 4
Numbers 16:1-18:32
Discouragement and complaining often go together. Many will offer a list to justify why they are doing this, but like most things in life, it really is a choice. Six years ago we had seven delivering doctors in our OB/GYN group which does close to one thousand deliveries per year. One retired from taking call, and we have been unable to replace that position for six years. Then last summer we lost two more from our call system, rather unexpectedly. For the four remaining delivering physicians this has resulted in a significant increase in our workload (average 80-100 hours/ week, sometimes more). So, we have a choice: become discouraged and complain, or accept it as God’s will for our group. I have chosen to accept it as His will. Interestingly, after six years of failing to find someone to join us ( many doctors coming out of residency prefer newer models, primarily hospital positions, which focus on less hours), we have hired 3 physicians over a two month period, all to start this summer. Now, you might think my situation was not so difficult. Yours might include physical illness, death of loved ones, difficulties with relationships, etc. Realize, it is not a competition as to who has it the hardest. We will all have trials throughout our lives. The question is, “What do you do when you find yourself in the midst of your trial?”
We read in Numbers 16:41, “On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, “You have killed the people of the Lord.”” Even a quick reflection on the supernatural method of how these individuals perished would make one realize that God had judged them, with Moses and Aaron having nothing to do with their actual deaths. When anyone complains they are in fact complaining against God, whether they want to admit this or not. This discouragement and complaining also leads to blindness. We read in Mark 16:10-11, “She (Mary Magdalen)went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.” Jesus told them many times while He was alive with them what would happen. But, in a pit of discouragement they were blind and deaf to what was occurring.
You can pick whichever contemporary topic you like, and we may not agree on all of these: the response to the pandemic, abortion, LGBTQ, BLM, Antifa, January 6th, politics in general, climate change, etc. The division over these topics is huge. We have a choice. We can become discouraged and complain. We can finger point and call the opposing view ignorant or any other derogatory name you like. Do we believe that God is sovereign? Do we believe that God could not change things simply by His word? There is nothing wrong with standing for truth, in fact, we should have opinions and speak it forth. When action can be taken then do so. But pray, and move forward in His Spirit. Never forget, we are His ambassadors on earth, with our citizenship in heaven. We can disagree, without being disagreeable. Complaining and discouragement is not of God, may we never justify it.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: