Day 24
Monday, March 29
The Way Through Entitlement
From a human point of view, the Israelities’attitude in the wilderness is understandable. Grumbling about their situation became a habit all throughout their wilderness journey, and it blinded them from seeing the Lord’s provision during their wandering. Their human tendencies made them pessimistic, which later made them feel entitled to more than what God was already blessing them with. Their grumbling and entitlement was a serious breach of faith that even Moses pointed out in Exodus 16:8 by saying, “...you are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”However, God wasted no time in revealing His glory to the Israelites and provided them with manna and quail (“The Lord said to Moses, I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, at twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.” V.11) Their actions of entitlement tested the Lord, making Him respond in ways that showed His glory to remind them to be grateful for their freedom from Egypt and for the blessings they received daily.
You might not be wandering in the desert with your family, but has there been a situation that made entitlement much greater than gratitude? As Christians, we immediately feel entitled to God’s blessings—you believe “when the praises go up, the blessings come down.” So when blessings don’t come the way you expect them to, your attitude immediately changes.
Throughout their wilderness journey, the Israelites serve as a great example and reminder that no matter the circumstances we are in, we must always face every day with gratitude and praise. Too often, we’ve been so focused on the mechanics of living the Christian life that we’ve forgotten to humble ourselves and give thanks. God has moved in our lives in so many incredible ways, both big and small. Even if our circumstances seem to tell us otherwise, we cannot lose touch with who God is and what God’s done, and we can worship Him for it.
-Lizzy Carrera
Bible Reading for the Day:
Think and Act:
1. How can an entitlement mindset become part of your daily life? Do you feel like being a Christian makes you immediately entitled to many blessings?
2. How can you humble yourself before God and give Him thanks for everything that He is doing in your life right now?