What Your Discontentment Really Means

Life can be monotonous sometimes, can’t it?  A bit boring. Oh, sure there are those times where we have a lot going on and it’s chaotic - whether for the good or bad - but there are a lot of times in our life that are just the day to day living of life here on earth.  The same old, same old.

 
No matter how many times you have cleaned your kitchen counter, it will need to be done again tomorrow.  Unless they invent disposable clothing that you find stylish, you’re going to have to keep doing laundry.  Another day of going to work is right around the corner. What are we having for supper will be asked again for sure.

 
Well, at least you aren’t having manna again for supper like the Israelites.  They had been wandering in the wilderness for a long time and God had graciously supplied them with manna for their food.  But just as your kids turn up their nose when you put supper on the table exclaiming, “We are having this AGAIN?!” The Israelites were “complaining of their hardships in the hearing of the Lord.” (Numbers 11:1)  Now really there is nowhere you could go and whisper and not have God hear you, but what they were doing was wailing (verse 4) and saying, “If only we had meat to eat!”

 
Verse 10 tells us that every family was wailing at the entrance to their tent and God got exceedingly angry.  Now that seems a bit extreme on God’s part, doesn’t it? Can’t God understand that they need some variety in their food choices?  Of course, He can, but God can see to the root of any issue. The Israelites discontentment over their situation was not due to mom serving manna casserole again for supper, it was truly a sign of their spiritual condition.

 
We’ll save the story of Moses taking on personal responsibility for the people’s happiness in verses 11-17 for another time, and pick back up in verse 18 where God tells Moses to prepare the people because tomorrow you will eat meat! In fact, they will be eating meat for the next month.  Moses has a little trouble understanding how God is going to feed over a million people meat and questions God. Reminds me of the story in the New Testament of Jesus feeding the 5,000 doesn’t it? When will we ever learn? Verse 23, “The Lord answered Moses, ‘Is the Lord’s arm too short?  Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.’” You probably picture the shortest person you know trying to reach something in the highest kitchen cabinet when God says this but it actually means, “Am I too weak?”

 
You may not be trying to figure out how to feed a million people but maybe you are trying to figure out how to keep food on the table for your family of five.  Are you, like Moses, questioning God’s ability to do what He said He would do? He has promised to meet your every need. Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”  Matthew 6:33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Mark 11:24 “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  Do you mock God’s promises or accuse Him of overestimating His abilities?  You do, if you are still worrying about the problem.

 
So the next day God blows in a LOT of quail for the people.  It was all around the border of the camp (think the size of a camp that holds over 1 million people!).  The quail were packed in there 3 feet high for as far as the eye could see or as far as a day’s walk! What did the people do?  They ran out there gathering as many quail as possible. Verse 32 “All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail.  No one gathered less than ten homers.” A homer was a typical load for a donkey to carry or 6.25 bushels or 50 gallons. That’s a lot of gallon baggies of quail for each person that went gathering!  

 
Did you notice they went all day AND all night AND all the next day!  Can you imagine how tired you would be? I can hardly stand an hour of grocery shopping.  Why were they willing to stay up for 36 hours + straight? Because they didn’t trust the Word of the Lord that said the quail would be around for a month.  Psalm 78:29 says they ate until they were gorged.  Have you ever stressed over a need in your life for 36 hours straight?  I have!  That is tiring and it was due to me not trusting God's Word.

 
Verse 20 says they rejected God.  What they did was put Him on trial.  They are asking Him where He is in their messed up lives?  Why doesn’t He do more for them? Why is He silent? He should have to answer to us for not providing us meat.

 
Just like the Israelites couldn’t seem to see the gift that their deliverance from Egypt was in this moment and the awesomeness of God's power to provide what they were in need of, how many of us are still putting God on trial in our own lives?  How many of us are saying where are you God? Why are you silent? Why aren’t you doing something about this?

 
God has already done something about your need. He sent Jesus.  He heard mankind’s cry for help and He sent Jesus to get us out of slavery and make us free.  And now He gives us authority and the ability to reign in life.

 
What have you been complaining about lately?  What are you waiting on God to do for you? What area do you feel He has been silent and so you have put Him on trial in your life to see if He really cares for you? What area of discontentment in your life is really a sign of your spiritual condition or attitude?

 
Trust His Word.  If He says the quail will be there for a month, thank Him for it, and enjoy them for the next month instead of staying up all night to gather them, stuffing your face until quail is coming out your nose (verse 20) and making you sick(verse 33).  If He says, He will meet your every need, thank Him for it, and rest in His presence believing to see it come to pass not staying up all night to try to figure it out. It is not until you can stop the worrying and enter the rest that you will see the promise come true. And not only that, but that is when life will have a little adventure and not be so boring.