Happy Thanksliving!

Six weeks into the wilderness, the Israelites had to say good-bye to Elim with its 70 date palms and its springs of water. As their food supply dwindled, they began to feel stranded and betrayed. Although God had provided for them before, they still lacked confidence. Their hunger and the hot sand made their faith evaporate. Instead of recalling all that God had done for them up to this point, they moaned and groaned over their current situation. Rather than trusting in God’s divine leadership, they began questioning His leader.

Exodus 16:1-3 reads, “Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. The whole congregation of the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, ‘Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’”

The Israelites’ disgruntlement was voiced to Moses, but it was really directed at God. Although Moses was their physical leader, God was their divine guide. So, while they were accusing Moses of bringing them out of the desert just to watch them die, it was really the Almighty that they were being critical of. It didn’t take long for the Israelites to become spoiled, and their self-indulgence led to short-term memory loss.
They forgot about the harsh treatment they had to endure in Egypt; the oppression, the beatings, the humiliation. They also forgot about the miraculous power of God on display when He brought the 10 plagues upon Egypt, and their song of victory at the Red Sea. They had also forgotten the sweet water of Marah and the 12 springs of Elim.God was their map and compass, their protector and provider, but their self-absorbed pessimism had blinded them to the joy of their past deliverance. Now Egypt suddenly looked better than the wilderness. “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt!" How could they be so ungrateful? How could they have forgotten so quickly the gracious blessings and wonderful providence of God?

Before we condemn the Israelites, let us examine our own lives. Are we guilty of taking our blessings for granted? Do we find ourselves moaning and groaning when we should be thanking and praising? Having an attitude of gratitude means being thankful for what we have rather than being disgruntled over what we lack. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need” (Phil. 4:11 & 12). Paul had learned the secret of how to be filled and how to be hungry. What was his secret? He gives the answer in verse 13: “I can do all things through Him [Christ] who strengthens me.” The secret to Paul’s strength was not Paul; it was Christ. Paul had learned how to find contentment in any and every situation because he had learned that the source of contentment does not rest in circumstances or conditions. Contentment is found in Christ and, therefore, can be enjoyed even in the midst of great suffering.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that I am somewhat ambivalent about. On one hand I really enjoy it, mainly because I like to eat. On the other hand, I am not fond of the concept of dedicating one day a year to being thankful. As Christians, thanksgiving should be an every day event. We have been blessed beyond measure. We should have an attitude of gratitude that expresses itself each and every day of our lives as we give all glory to the source of our blessings.

Like the song states, "Count your many blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God has done." May we continuously count our blessings, not just one Thursday in November, but each and every day.