Bible Reading: Exodus 15; Luke 4:1-4; Hebrews 4:15-16
Bible Verses: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16, King James Version
I kept looking at the clock, my frustration building with every second that passed. I still wasn’t finished with my essay, and my computer kept locking up, flashing a low-memory warning. I had no idea where to even begin or what I could delete from my laptop that would make a difference. On top of that, because of my tendency to include every detail instead of the critical points, I had surpassed the maximum word count long ago and would need to do a major edit before submitting… and the clock screamed that I was running out of time to get dinner done. Abandoning the essay, I tossed the meat in the pan and grabbed a jar of kraut from the pantry. The lid wouldn’t budge. My heart pounding in my chest, I tried again and again, but even all the adrenaline pulsing through my body was not enough to break the seal. With tears welled in my eyes, I paused, humbled by the sound of my own grumbling. How had I gotten to this point? How had I allowed a couple of petty inconveniences to blind me to God’s magnificent blessings? He had provided food for me to cook, and without the tremendous opportunity He had given me to learn and study more of His word, I would not be writing the essay.
I was reminded of the Israelites just after God rescued them from slavery and miraculously parted the Red Sea, allowing them to pass to safety. In Exodus 15:1-22, they are singing praises. Then in Exodus 15:22, they walk three days from the Red Sea into the wilderness, and by Exodus 15:24, they are grumbling that they have no water: “And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (King James Version). They had just walked through a sea as God held back the water on both sides… and now they are not trusting Him to provide their needs. The slightest discomfort, and the scene changed from a song of gratitude with their focus on God to a grumbling ‘woe is me’ self-centered pity party.
Yet, Jesus goes into the wilderness, and after having nothing to eat, His human flesh must have been physically and mentally weak because, although He was fully God, He was also fully man. But there is no word of grumbling. Instead, when the devil tempted Him to turn the stones to bread, Jesus’s focus remained on God and His blessing. Jesus answered, “…It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4, KJV). When the struggles arise, and we find our minds drifting from God to our own selfish desires, we know Jesus faced that very temptation. In fact, Hebrews 4:15 assures us that “…we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (KJV). And yet, the next verse goes on to remind us that we do not have to face the temptation alone. We are invited to “…come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16 KJV).
May we remember that when we have accepted Christ’s gift of salvation, we are not alone. When we find ourselves out of focus and grumbling, may we humble ourselves before the throne, shifting our eyes to the One who deserves our endless praise, the One from whom our blessings flow, and seek His mercy and Grace in our time of need.
