Tent Murmuring

Ps 106:24-25 says, "Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD." Nearly all the translations say that Israel despised the pleasant land, but I think rejected more accurately reflects our way of thinking. Israel didn't despise the land, as though they didn't think it was good enough for them. They rejected the land because the difficulty of taking possession of it seemed far too great to be a realistic option. So they refused to even consider it.

They rejected God's lavish provision because they didn't trust in God's promise that he would do what it took to help them take possession of the land. If God had promised them a barren land with just enough vegetation to sustain their existence, but a land without giants, they might have been quite happy to go. But God had a lot more in mind. He had a better land that would take more trust and more work, but would provide for them much more richly.

True to human nature, they rejected God's big promise for something they could grasp, but then spent time in their tents grumbling against God and his leaders because of the lack of abundance. They did not obey the voice of the Lord and they suffered greatly because of it. That pattern can be an easy one to fall into. God offers abundant provision with the caveat that I trust him to do the heavy lifting, and instead I settle for the wilderness, rationed food, and evenings spent murmuring in my tent. Lord, help me to obey your voice and live in the provision you have called me to.