Passage of the Day:
The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death,” Exodus 16:1-3.
Reflection:
Forty-five days after witnessing the miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, Israel forgot God’s power to alter their situation. Rather than using this miracle as a spiritual turning point in their lives, the Israelites began to complain to one another about the harsh conditions of traveling through a desert. Instead of having an individual stand up and profess, “if God can part the Red Sea, providing food and water will be much easier,” no one chose to be optimistic. Rather than make their situation better, grumbling and complaining only made matters worse.
Prayerful Action:
Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling, 1 Peter 4:9.
Retracing Your Steps:
Sometimes a person at work alters how you see your employer. When you allow yourself to become surrounded by negative people, sooner or later you’ll join in, Psalm 1:1-2. You may even over-react, tempted to quit your job because of low morale. However, one of Jesus’ disciples calls Christians to be hospitable even if everyone else is constantly bickering and complaining. While it’s important to be real and genuine to others, choose to make your situation better, not worse.
Song of the Day:
Kenny Marks was one of the first Christian artists to address the subject of divorce in his music. The lyrics to the Next Time You See Johnny shows how a little boy misses his father. While divorces often result in messy situations, lean on the power of prayer to help your make your crisis’s in life better, not worst.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 