Faith Capsule: Complaint will not announce itself before it establishes itself inside the life of its victim.

Exodus 17:1-7

The Book of Proverbs records, “It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman.” (Proverbs 21:9) This Scripture not only addresses woman, but both man and woman. Any man or woman can be bound with a quarrelsome or hostile attitude. Does this fit your description? To be contentious could be a railroad for complaint to ride on or a track for complaining to gather its speed. In the journey of life, the spirit of complaining will not give life, but rather absolute death. In the midst of unforeseen situations, who are you to complain to? What is it that can justify complaint over what you cannot control? The spirit of complaining is nothing but a negative approach unto the One and only One God who is in control of Heaven and earth. Complaining can also be a way of pointing a finger in the face of the One who holds our time in His hand. When circumstances beyond our control takes its place in our life, complaining is not an option to dwell on. If you have arrived at a junction where you consider there is nothing in place that is worth thanking God for, why don’t you turn onto thanking God for the past and for what He has already done? Why roll over into complaining when you can ride on into praising and thanking Him for what He has done. When praising and thanking God for what He has done, His hand will be provoked to move in what you want from Him. The children of Israel who were delivered from Egypt were the greatest victim of complaint. Complaining did not take their life away in bondage, but it took it after they were out of bondage. What a victim! Complaint will not announce itself before it establishes itself inside the life of its victim. As recorded in Exodus 17:2-3, “Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water, that we may drink.’ So Moses said to them, ‘Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the LORD?’ And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, ‘Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?’” It is evident that they started with contention before taking it to the level of complaining. Ask God to deliver you from every spirit of complaint. Stay on track and do not get derailed. It is worth it to be commending Him and not complaining to Him. Keep on praising Him and He will keep on raising you.

Prayer for today: Deliver me O Lord from every spirit of complaint. Let me be constant in appreciating Your goodness and mercy.