The Fire From The Lord Burned Among Them

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.

The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat! 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!”

The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin. The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a hand mill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into loaves. And it tasted like something made with olive oil. When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.

Moses heard the people of every family wailing at the entrance to their tents. The Lord became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. 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?

Numbers 11:1-11

Longing for different circumstances can lead to complaining, and even a form of relationship damaging self-centeredness.

The Israelites were never satisfied and always complained about God’s provision. Even though the Lord cared for His people in the wilderness by sending them “bread from heaven,” they began to want other food. Instead of rejoicing over the daily miracles of God’s faithful and loving care, the Israelites wanted something better, something different, or even something they used to have. They took out their frustration on Moses.

Trusting God’s goodness and faithfulness can help us get a good grip on gratitude. Today we can thank Him for the countless ways He cares for us.

Grateful praise satisfies us and pleases God.

Our Daily Bread – October 29, 2018