The Old Testament is filled with fascinating stories that offer valuable lessons for our lives. In the upcoming devotions, I’ll be highlighting some of these lessons. It’s crucial to learn from the past to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. While you could learn the hard way, why go through all that trouble when you can benefit from the wisdom of those who came before us?

Let me set the scene for today’s lesson. The Israelites have been delivered from Egypt by God’s power. They miraculously crossed the Red Sea and worshiped the Lord on the other side. So, what happens next? Despite their attitude of praise and the recent miracle, they find themselves in a desert. For three days, they traveled without finding any water. When they finally did find water, it was bitter and undrinkable. According to scripture, the people grumbled. What did the Lord do? He instructed Moses to put a piece of wood in the water, making it drinkable. Then, God provided them with manna to eat after they complained about the lack of food. He literally sent food from the sky every day to meet their needs. When they complained about only having manna, He sent quail as well. Once again, the whole community set out from the desert, traveling from place to place, and found themselves without water. Their response? Predictably, they reacted the same way they always did when in need. Every time the Israelites faced a need, they complained, grumbled, and demanded. They argued with each other and were discontent. They failed to do the one thing that could change everything.

It’s important to remember that needing something, especially essentials for life, is not wrong. We can’t live without water, so their need was indeed significant. The same applies to food; it’s a basic necessity for survival. The issue wasn’t the need itself but their response to it. The Israelites didn’t seem to understand how to properly address their needs. They would argue among themselves, complain to Moses, or openly grumble. When they faced a water shortage for the second time, they confronted Moses, asking, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to let us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” This was surprising because God had already provided clean water from bitter water once before. They knew God could miraculously provide for them, having seen Him rain manna and quail from the sky. Despite witnessing these miracles, they lacked faith that God would meet their needs again. They didn’t ask God or ask Moses to ask God on their behalf for provision and assistance; their first reaction was to complain about their thirst.

You might argue that their reactive behavior was understandable given their legitimate need. They had every right to voice their concerns. However, the manner in which they expressed themselves was entirely inappropriate and unjustified. There was no reason to complain and act as if God didn’t care. God had already demonstrated that they were His people and had promised to provide for them, but they needed to ask.

When you lack something or need something, grumbling should not be your response. It’s ineffective and solves nothing. Complaining merely states the problem or situation without taking any action towards a resolution. It’s wallowing in your misery and often inviting others to join you. The Israelites were not wrong for needing something essential. Their mistake was in complaining, grumbling, demanding, and accusing, while forgetting to ask for what God would have willingly provided. The Bible says they tested God with their negative grumbling and argumentative behavior. It wasn’t their need that was offensive or wrong, but their response.

To learn from the mistakes of the Israelites in this scripture passage, we must understand the importance of responding appropriately to a need. When faced with a need, we should ask God for help. The Israelites should have recognized that the same God who provided food from the sky every morning could also provide water, as He had done before. They should have trusted that the God who delivered them from the Egyptians could also sustain and protect them in the desert. Although it may be challenging, we must choose to ask for help rather than complain in difficult circumstances. We don’t need to grumble because we can turn to God, who can act on our behalf. If the Israelites had asked God, He would have provided for them.

When we are uncomfortable or have unmet needs, our natural instinct is to complain. From childhood, we’ve learned to fuss and exaggerate our feelings because we dislike discomfort. We want our needs met and we want them met now. When essential needs are unmet, it feels like we’re facing certain death, leading to loud and earnest lamenting. We rage against the need and those we perceive as failing to provide for us. This instinctive response is not the right one. If the need persists, our human reaction worsens, and we start blaming others, much like the Israelites accusing Moses of bringing them to the desert to kill them with thirst.

If our natural human response to unmet needs is to complain, then as believers, what should our response be? How does our relationship with the Lord influence our reaction to needs? It transforms our response entirely. Our reaction should be one of faith and trust. We should have faith that God, who promised to sustain us and provide everything we need for life and godliness, will fulfill His promises. We should ask Him for help and request what we lack. As children of God, we have the privilege to approach Him with our needs and ask for provision. God is our provider. Although I have not witnessed God parting an entire sea with my own eyes, I have seen Him work mightily in the lives of those around me, providing, sustaining, and protecting. By reflecting on His past faithfulness to me and others, I can trust in His continued care in the present moment. Instead of complaining, we can choose to believe and trust God. We can choose to seek His assistance rather than accuse Him of not caring. It is our choice how we approach Him, and we decide our response when we have a need.

Do you have a need right now? How are you responding to it? I encourage you to take a different approach than the Israelites did long ago. Choose faith over complaining and demanding. Fight your human nature that would have you point fingers to assign blame, argue amongst yourselves, complain, or even demand.  We can trust that even before we ask God for what we lack, He already knows our needs and has a plan for our provision. There’s a saying, “You have not because you ask not,” and I believe people often don’t ask because they are too busy grumbling and accusing. Let’s avoid making the same mistake. Let’s learn this valuable lesson from God’s word. When you have a need, come to God and ask Him to provide what you lack. Approach Him with full confidence, knowing that He is able to provide. Let’s be true believers, not complainers or accusers.