“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” – Matthew 6:25-26, 31-32
LIGHT FOR NOW: Rather than complain, grumble or murmur to God, why not go to Him in prayers raising sounds of praise and thanksgiving as an expression of faith in his goodness.
Paul gives us a word in Philippians 2:14 that is very instructive; Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without murmurings and disputings”. When we are anxious, we are not thankful and when we are not thankful, we act as murmurers. A murmurer is someone who is murmurs. To murmur means to complain. How do you become a murmurer?
• Murmuring is a choice: Murmuring is something you choose to do. It is not an evil spirit.
• When you refuse to count little blessings: Matthew 5:43-44 shows that the sun and rain are blessings. Imagine life without rain and sunshine. There are little things we often take for granted but they are blessings; learn to give thanks for them.
• When you meditate on problems and challenges.
• When you curse life without saying so.
• Those who murmur never praise God from their heart. Little blessings are great things so when you thank God, think about those blessings, name them one by one.
• Matthew 15:8 – Jesus said some honour God with their lips but the heart is far from God.
• Colossians 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord”.
• Ephesians 5:18-19 – You are to thank God in your heart, so praises should come from the heart.
• 1Corinthians 10:10 – Murmuring opens up the door to the devil. The people in the wilderness murmured and were destroyed by the destroyer.
You can’t be in faith and complain. It is when you are not in faith that you complain.
• Philippians 2:14-15 – Murmuring is a bad example for the believer.
• Acts 16:25 – Midnight is a tough time, example you are sick in the body or you have a need. It is when things don’t go nicely. Paul raised his voice in praise, so you have to raise your voice in praise rather than complain. Glory!
INSTRUCTION: Always raise your voice in praise to God rather than complain.
CONFESSION: I choose not to grumble, complain or murmur; rather I am thankful to God for every good thing in life and in Christ, in Jesus Name, Amen
QUOTE: Your confidence in God’s goodness makes you raise your voice in praise to Him rather than murmuring always to his ears.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 2; EVENING: ACTS CHAPTER 16
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 