How Bad Is It?
Lake Wattacoo is one of my favorite places. . . at least during the fall, winter and spring. In the summer, not so much. With the changing of the season comes snakes, spiders and bugs like you've never seen. What was once a haven of peace and tranquility is now a place to be avoided at all costs. The trail is still gentle, the view still magnificent. So what changed? In short, the creepy crawlies moved in. Snakes of all shapes and sizes stretch across the trails. Gnats fly in your nose, mouth, eyes and any other place they can get into. Mosquitoes bite. Yellow jackets sting. Spider webs cling to your flesh. It's miserable, absolutely miserable! But come fall, you won't be able to keep me away.
Life is full of seasons, and sometimes those seasons can fool us into thinking our lives are in rough shape. Have you ever been there? Have you looked around at your life and wondered, "Is this all there is? I get up, go to work, come home, work around the house, then go to bed. The next day, it starts all over again. Where's the joy? Where's the peace? Where's the fun? Is this how life is supposed to be?" If you've experienced anything like that, rest assured, you're in good company. The children of Israel did too.
Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord. - Psalm 106:24-25
They despised the pleasant land. They murmured in their tents. They ignored God. They found themselves in a difficult season and rather than dwelling on the good times, they focused on the bad.
"Yuck, manna again."
"We want some meat."
"We're thirsty, and there's no water around here. What are you going to do about it, Moses?"
"We're tired of this wilderness. Our feet hurt. Why can't we just stay here, or better yet, go back to Egypt?"
No matter what God provided, they weren't satisfied. They were taken care of, but they weren't thankful. They were dwelling in a pleasant land, but they despised it. Sounds a little too close to home, doesn't it? We, too, have a tendency to be ungrateful. After all, we have roofs over our heads and food on our tables, but still we complain. We have clothes to wear and the Lord's leadership to guide, but we want more. We take a long look at our lives, but somehow we overlook all the blessings and only see the lack, and we long for a better life.
We would do well not to judge our lives based on one season. Sure, the creepy crawlies may be on the move now, but they won't always be. Yes, life may look dim and unsatisfying right now, but it won't always. Give it another season. See it through to the end. The children of Israel despised the land because of the season. Don't despise your life the same way. Learn from their mistake. Perhaps part of the reason they couldn't find peace and joy was because of the phrase at the end of verse 24:
they believed not his word. Maybe if they put a little more trust in God, the path would have been more inviting.
God has given us His word that all things WILL work together for good to those who love Him. All things. All seasons of life. All situations and circumstances. The good, the bad and the ugly. We have His word on it. Whether we believe it or not will determine how we live each day--in peace or in turmoil. Loving life or despising it. So I ask you: how bad is it, really?