And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. (1 Corinthians 10:10)

The people refused to enter the pleasant land,
for they wouldn’t believe his promise to care for them.
Instead, they grumbled in their tents
and refused to obey the Lord. (Psalm 106:24,25)

When I (Jill) was very small, my mom used to read to me from a set of books called The Book of Life. There were some children’s stories in that book, the illustrations of which I can still see in my mind’s eye. One story stood out to me as I read the above Scriptures this morning. It was called “The Grumble Glasses,” a story of a family who purchased a few pair of sunglasses to use as a teaching tool. Whenever someone in the family complained, they had to wear the grumble glasses for the day. It wasn’t long before every member of that family was seeing the world through those dark lenses to help them remember to stay grateful and to keep their faith strong even when facing obstacles.

Grumbling got the Israelites in the desert nowhere fast. It will do the same for us. If we want to move forward in our lives, we must see with eyes of faith, eyes that see the possibilities not the detours. Eyes that align with El Shaddai, the God of More Than Enough, the God who is able to work His power in us to accomplish “infinitely more than we might ask or think.” My friend said other day, “What if I only had today what I thanked God for yesterday?”

Father,

I repent of a default attitude of whining. 

I repent of seeing the glass half empty.

I repent of catching others doing wrong and missing when they do right.

I repent of grumbling about not having what I haven’t even had enough faith to receive.

I repent of complaining about leadership, as if I could do better.

I repent of thinking the grass is greener elsewhere.

I am done with being a whiner and complainer.

I hereby declare that I will believe Your promises to me!

Today I will be grateful to you and to the people in my life! Thank You!

Thank You for all you do for me, all you have done, and all you will do when I have faith to receive it!

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.