1 Corinthians 10:10-13 “Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
How often do we stop to be thankful for the simple blessings of God in our lives? Instead of thanking God that He sends us the preaching of His word, we wish the vessel He sent would hurry and finish. After all, we are going to miss kick-off at the very best we can do. Rather than thank God for the hymns or praise and adoration that are sung, we murmur that they never sing the song we like; or maybe it’s that they sing the same old songs every Sunday. I mean, the children of Israel got sick and tired of manna, right?
If we study God’s word, we are going to find a pattern concerning grumbling about how God does things. When men are constantly murmuring, destruction is sure to follow. Constantly grumbling about our lot in life is going to bring destruction; destruction of peace, of contentment, of the joy of living. Continual murmuring against God for sending that preacher or that song leader or those deacons is going to result in destruction. Always grumbling that we can do a better job or have the right to a particular position without God having called us to do so (or supporting others that He has not called), is going to lead to destruction (see Numbers, chapter 16).
God moved men to record the many different events concerning the outcome of the grumbling of His people for our sakes! These things happened to them for our example. They were written down as a warning for us. This is not a warning of the imminent destruction of the globe we live on, as should be evidenced by the fact that Paul wrote these words to our Corinthian brethren nearly two thousand years ago.
As we have been called out of nature’s darkness by the light of the Holy Ghost of God, the ends of the world in which we once thrived are come. In hearing and obeying the gospel of God, the ends of the world of self-righteous worship we might once have walked in is come. In this same manner, the ends of the world for both the Gentiles and the Jews in Corinth that heard the gospel were come. In this, we need to take heed, lest depending on our own knowledge and ability, we fall from this life of daily grace which is given us by God.
We deceive ourselves and dishonor God when we take the attitude that this world has become too corrupt for the truth of God to have any impact. The scripture says we are without excuse for caving in to the demands of this world. We are promised that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to endure. Whatever the temptation we may face that would cause us to murmur, God has provided a way out so that we might endure.
May we give God thanks for leaving us examples of His judgments and His promises so that we may fully depend on His grace for our daily deliverance!