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COMMUNITY GROUP STUDY 2: COMPLAINING IS
CONTAGIOUS
Jim Rohn said, “You are the average
of the five people you spend the most time with.”
The bible says, ‘Do not be
misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”’ (1 Corinthians 15:33)
After only 3 days the ‘rabble’ start to spread discontent among them. We
all like to think that we are strong and unaffected by culture and our peers,
but we are very vulnerable and need good friends and a church community to
influence us for good.
DISCUSS:
Numbers 11:4-6
· Do you
have any personal examples of being disappointed with God and feeling tempted
to moan about how He is acting and providing?
Numbers 11:7-9
· They
become so accustomed to the miracle that they stop seeing it! What wondrous
things happen in our lives that we can start taking for granted and how might
greater mindfulness of God’s work help guard against grumbling?
Hebrews10:24-25
· How does
church fellowship help to protect us from discouragement the negative influence
of the culture around us?
1 Corinthians
12:20
· What is
gossip and why is it so easy to fall into?
Ephesians 4:29
· How are,
or could you, use your words to build faith and joy?
Numbers
11:10-15
·
How do these moaners negatively influence
Moses?
·
How could one deal with disappointment in a
godly way?
Stories from the journey
'As
a bi-product of my last job, I became very 'perfectionistic' and unwilling to
make mistakes. The nature of my job meant that any small mistake I made would
be made visible to all my colleagues and many others, and so it became a bit of
a fear of mine! I didn't realise this was causing me problems until I started a
new job and was almost paralysed by the stress of not knowing what I was doing
and feeling that every day I was failing and making mistakes. I couldn't avoid
them! It happened every day, and I felt backed into a corner unable to escape.
I went on a retreat about 6 months into my new job and sought God for fresh
revelation of him. I received his grace like a river and realised my fears were
irrational and a result of fearing man and not God. I realised God doesn't ask
me to be perfect, just obedient, and that it's ok not to get everything right.
I felt a weight lift as I realised that on the cross, it is finished. It is
completely finished, and Jesus has brought freedom and life to all who trust in
his name. I received his grace, not only to make mistakes, but also to work
well, knowing my best is enough for him, and he can bless even the biggest
failure on the planet! My failures are not beyond him, and he is the only one
whose opinion I should care about. If God is for us, who can be against us?
What can man do to me?' (Anonymous)
DAILY PERSONAL BIBLE DEVOTIONAL WEEK 2 – NUMBERS 11
MONDAY: COMPLAINING IS SERIOUS
Numbers 11:1-3 Now the people complained about their hardships in the
hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was
aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and
consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. When the people cried out to
Moses, he prayed to the Lord and the fire died down. So that
place was called Taberah, because fire from the Lord had
burned among them.
God
breaks out in judgement, sending fire, as the people complain. God is warning
them of the seriousness of loose speaking and negative hearts. James says,
James 3:5-6 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes
great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small
spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the
body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on
fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Pray that God would protect you from harming
yourself or those around you through your use of words. In fact, pray that you
would be a blessing!
TUESDAY: CONSIDER YOUR WORDS
Exodus 11:4 The
rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites
started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!
William chapman wrote, “Words cut deeper than knives. A knife can be pulled out, words
are embedded into our souls.” The bible says,
James 1:26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a
tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is
worthless.
WEDNESDAY: TEMPTATION TO DISATISFACTION
Exodus
11:5-6 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also
the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our
appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
They
have ‘rose tinted’ reminiscence of Egypt. They fail to mention that they were
ill-treated slaves. How easy it is to desire the past or the future but to be
dissatisfied with what God is doing today. We probably all have things that we
would want to improve, but let’s live with gratitude for what God is doing in
our lives.
THURSDAY: DEALING WITH ACCUSATION
Numbers 11:10 Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the
entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses
was troubled.
Moses is unsettled by the attitude of people. Being
accused is a heavy weight to carry and with the creation social media this can
take on a whole new level of vehemence. Let’s remember Jesus who was innocent
and yet was falsely accused, we read,
Psalm 22:1-2 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so
far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by
day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
Are you dealing with unjust accusation? Jesus is
with you and understands your sense of fear, helplessness and injustice. Turn
to God in prayer and trust Him.
FRIDAY: DON’T DESCEND TO THEIR LEVEL
Numbers 11:11-13 He asked the Lord, “Why have you brought this
trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put
the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive
all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my
arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on
oath to their ancestors? Where can I get meat for all these people?
Moses expresses his lament to God. Moses is right to
pour out his concerns to God but surely he is wrong to accuse God. The people
are complaining about the food and he allows himself to complain about the
‘burden’ of leadership God has given him. Complaining is contagious – pray
that God would give you a heart of trust toward God and His dealings with you.
SATURDAY: SHARE THE LOAD
Numbers 11:13-17 They keep
wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these
people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are
going to treat me, please go ahead and kill me—if I have found favour in your
eyes—and do not let me face my own ruin.” The Lord said to Moses:
“Bring me seventy of Israel’s elders who are known to you as leaders and
officials among the people. Have them come to the tent of
meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down and speak
with you there, and I will take some of the power of the Spirit that is on
you and put it on them. They will share the burden of the people with you
so that you will not have to carry it alone.
God’s response to Moses’ lament is to provide
him with seventy elders to ‘share the burden of the people with you’. God knows your needs and the burdens that you
carry. Rather than collapsing and becoming angry, give yourself to pray for God
to provide the people and solutions to your needs.
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