Stop Murmuring!

Listen to today’s passage – Exodus 13 – 15

Follow along on Blue Letter Bible – Exodus 13

Second Milers also read – Luke 3 – 4; Proverbs 24; Psalms 116 – 120

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Isaiah 51:11

Read the “0124 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by Charles Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from today’s passage – “Moving Forward,” and “He Brought Us This Far.”

“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” – (Exodus 15:1)

“And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” – (Exodus 15:24)

From Praising to Complaining

Exodus 15 is an amazing chapter of Scripture which demonstrates the fickle nature of God’s children. The first 21 verses, which comprises more than three-fourths of the chapter, is the record of God’s people singing, dancing, and praising Him for the great miracle that He had done in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. Specifically, they are praising God and thanking Him for parting the Red Sea so that they could pass through on dry ground. You will recall that the Egyptians tried to follow them and that same sea closed upon them and drowned them. The people of God were thrilled that God took away the water so that they could travel to the other side. Now at the end of the chapter, they are complaining that there is no water. First, they wanted the water to go away, and then they wanted it back again. You just can’t make these Israelites happy, can you? I am kidding, of course; but I do want to point out the tendency that Israel had (and we have today) to forget about all of God’s past blessings by griping about some apparent injustice that they felt to be taking place in the present. Here, they think that God delivered them from Egypt only to kill them with dehydration in the wilderness. Absurd! That big God that they were worshipping in the beginning of the chapter suddenly became smaller when the people got a little thirsty.

God’s Character Does Not Change

God’s people are no different today. We sometimes see God do wonderful things in our lives, and from that mountaintop we offer up to Him praise and worship. But then when God allows a little testing to come our way, our attitude changes completely. Our view of God seems to be based solely upon what He does for us recently. When we are getting popcorn, bubble gum, and ice cream, God is good; but when God says that we should eat a little broccoli because it’s what we need at the time, God becomes some mean ogre. We act like little children in the nursery, don’t we? Let’s grow up! Let’s mature in our faith to the point where we trust God completely. God is good when the circumstances in life are great; but God is also good when things are not going as we would like them to.

Choose Gratitude Over Griping

God is always good. He loves us. He said that He will never leave us and never forsake us. He has our very best interests at heart. Trust Him even when you don’t understand; and whatever you do, don’t gripe. Griping is one of the most frequent triggers of divine judgment in the Old Testament. I am not saying that you should not bring your concerns and burdens to Him. There is a big difference between a prayer request and a complaint. Let’s get to the point in our Christian walk where we can praise Him even in the dark days. Remember, there are others out there that have it worse than you. God is not just good, He is awesome. Learn to wait on Him. He will deliver you if you simply trust Him, obey, and be patient.

Be a Problem Solver

Look, we are all good at spotting problems, but instead of murmuring, why don’t we try becoming part of a solution. We can pray and we can work to make the situation better. Anybody can complain, and they often do; but it takes a person of true character to make a difference.

“Do all things without murmurings and disputings:” – (Philippians 2:14)

Questions for Reflection

We all are guilty at times of viewing life pessimistically through the lens of a half-empty cup, but when your negative spirit brings you to the point of opening your mouth and discouraging others, you are sinning against God.

  • When has God done something amazing in your life, only for you to complain shortly afterward?

  • What’s one situation right now where you could choose praise instead of murmuring?

Today, let’s commit to catching ourselves before we murmur and turning it into praise.


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