Don’t Get Too Impatient With God’s Plan

Numbers 21:4-9

4 Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey, 5 and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”

6 So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died. 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people.

8 Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!” 9 So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!

In these verses the children of Israel were impatient with the time it was taking them to get to where the Lord had told them about. They don't seem too much unlike people of today. They thought it was taking too long and they were getting sick of eating this manna from heaven. Apparently having food dropped outside your door was not convenient enough for them. All they had to do to get food was to walk outside their door, pick up what they would eat for the day and go back inside. I understand that their menu was very limited, but if they had actually listened to God in the first place they would have been in the land that He promised them and they would be enjoying the fruit of that land.

Most of the time, when it comes to following God's plan, it is our fault for the length of time it takes to get to where God is taking us. We become impatient and then start complaining about how long the journey is taking. We never think it's our fault for the length of the journey, we just assume it must be God's fault. Every time we complain or grumble against God's plan for us we set ourselves up for more waiting, more time and a longer journey. Which one of us wants to assist our children out with something if all they do is complain about what is going on and how long it is taking? I know that I don't exactly jump to my feet to assist them if they have an attitude with me like that. I know that God doesn't do things the way I do them, but our complaining doesn't help things.

Notice that God did not just let them all die by the poisonous snakes. He provided a way out for them once they repented of their ways. He is still doing that today. Once we are humbled enough to realize that it is our fault and not God's and that we need to repent, He is right there with a way out for us. That way out is usually through Jesus and His Word. All our answers to life's questions are found in the Word. Praise God for that!

My prayer today is that I be patient with God's plans for my life and work hard to not be a stumbling block for His plan for me. Thank You for Your Son, Jesus, and His sacrifice for me so that I can come to You with my requests. Amen.