Greetings, friends,
I was reading in Numbers 16 this morning, and in this chapter twice God deals a fatal blow to those who are complaining, against Him and the leaders He has appointed. In the first case, Korah, Dathan and Abiram gathered together some of the key leaders of Israel to stand against Moses and Aaron. They refused to submit to their authority, and accused Moses of pridefully putting his own interests above the needs of the people. In a showdown, as you will remember, God opened up the earth and swallowed up these complainers and their families in one gulp!

Then, a bit later in the chapter, all Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and God unleashed a plague that killed 14,700 of them. This was a lighter blow than God had intended, but God stopped short since Moses and Aaron had interceded on behalf of the people.

What is our lesson from this? If you are having problems with someone, especially someone in authority, DON’T GRUMBLE AND COMPLAIN! (Phil. 2:14) God does not take well to people who sit and find fault with His leaders. No one is perfect, we all know that, and all leaders make mistakes. But if you see a better way, try to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Leadership can be challenging enough. When leading people who are supportive, leadership can be a joy, but when people make accusations, find fault and complain, all joy is removed (Hebr. 13:17). Remember, God is in ultimate authority, and He takes complaining very seriously!

Let us pray for grace to joyfully support those in authority over us, and to avoid futile complaining at all cost.

Pressing on,

Eric