While it’s always shocking when the Israelites start up the same complaint again, it’s even more shocking that they call their heavenly gift of manna “worthless.” They are complaining there is no food and no water. It’s like they can’t see God at all. He’s providing them with food daily. He’s brought water from a rock to satisfy them all.

He has and will take care of them, but they aren’t seeing Him. They aren’t acknowledging Him and what He’s done and is doing for them. They aren’t remembering. They are accusing God of bringing them out of captivity, out of their old lives, out of the world we could say, in order to kill them.

They don’t even know Him as the God who speaks life. God’s will is life. God’s will is to provide for them. God’s will is to protect them. And they don’t even know it because they won’t look to Him for their salvation. They still are looking to save themselves through Egypt’s government! There are governments and government programs today that are set up so that you will rely on them for your salvation, so that you need them.

Then they can be your god and control you and have you worship by your “bowing down” to their commands because you think you need them to save you through their protection, or provision, or whatever it is you think you need them for. Where does that come from? It’s starts with an ungrateful heart, a heart that calls God’s good gifts “worthless.”

Is there anything in your life you are ungrateful for? Are you giving thanks in all circumstances? Any grumbling could actually be seen as an ungrateful heart. It’s acting like God’s doing a bad job of taking care of you. It’s saying that we think we could do a better job of it ourselves; we would have chosen something else. Which means, we think we’d rather be our own god. Can you see grumbling as that big a deal – that we are wanting to replace God in our lives? And, to make matters worse, that’s straight up the antichrist spirit, wanting to be God.

Grumbling is denying that God is Who He says He is. It’s denying He’s good. It’s denying that He cares about you. It’s denying that He loves you. It’s denying that He’s able and willing to provide, protect, whatever it is. You can’t act as your own savior or act like God can’t save you in some situation and not deny God! If we deny God, He will deny us. This is a big deal! We need to get our thinking straight about Who God is and who we are to Him.