Getting Used To Our Blessings

NUM. 11:4-9 “GETTING USED TO OUR BLESSINGS”

A) When you were a child, did you ever sit down at the dinner table and say, “We having that

again?” * Human nature hasn’t changed!

* Centuries ago, the Jewish nation was being fed by God from heaven!

* Every morning for nearly 40 years, God sent little wafers of manna down to the camp of Israel.

* The Bible calls it angels’ food – Psa. 78:25!

* But there came a day when the people complained, “We’re tired of this manna, same old thing

every day!” * Their experience points out an important truth .......

* And that is, the danger of getting used to our blessings!

(1) GOD WAS TAKING CARE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL!

* He had delivered them from the bondage of Egypt ... Taken them through the Red Sea, and had

defeated their enemies for them!

A) They never had to worry about where to travel because God’s presence went before them!

* God protected them from danger and God provided them food and water day by day!

* Now you would think that the people would be thrilled with what God was doing for them, right?

* But they weren’t ... They spent much of their time complaining!

B) They complained about their godly leader, Moses!

* They complained about the way God led them ... They complained about the way God fed them!

* There was a time when Moses was a great man in their eyes, but not any more!

* There was a time when the pillar of fire that led them was an awesome sight, but not any more!

* There was a time when they could hardly wait for the morning to come so they could go out and

gather the heavenly manna, but not any more!

C) Do you know what happened to these people?

* The same thing that can happen to you and me! * They had gotten used to their blessings!

* The wonder was gone ... What was once a daily miracle of God’s love became a routine

occurrence! * “We’re tired of this manna!”

* Can you imagine being tired of food that came directly from heaven?

* Can you imagine getting used to sharing in a daily miracle? * Well, it happened to them, and it’s

happening to people today ... We’ve gotten used to God’s blessings!

(2) I THINK OF OUR BLESSINGS AS A NATION!

* Not everything is good about our country, but not everything is bad either!

* We enjoy freedom here, yet we’ve gotten used to it and take it for granted!

A) Our material wealth is the greatest of any nation on earth .......

* Yet, we complain because we don’t have more!

* While we Americans are fretting over diets and trying to lose excess weight, many people in the

world are trying to find enough food to keep them alive another day! (Rock Falls Church)

* Take this matter of government ... With all its faults and failures, our republican way of life is

still the best way!

* Yet, how many of us really participate in our responsibilities of government?

B) Many Christians don’t even bother to register to vote!

* If God withdrew from us the national blessings that we enjoy, I’m sure everyone of us would cry

out and beg God for freedom again!

* It’s too bad that sometimes we have to lose something to appreciate it!

* Don’t get used to the blessings we enjoy as a free nation!

* Cherish these God given privileges and use them wisely!

C) Whenever we start taking something or someone for granted, we start complaining!

* For some reason, many of us actually enjoy complaining!

* Yet, the Bible warns us in Phil. 2:14 “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.”

* I think of all the complaining that goes on in the home!

* We take for granted the blessings of the home! * Clean clothes ... Nourishing meals ...

* Money to pay the bills ... Opportunity to be together and enjoy family fellowship ...

D) Then something happens and we lose some of those blessings!

* Perhaps mother has to go in the hospital and we discover what is involved in keeping a home

running smoothly!

* Or perhaps the head of the house is out of work, or has taken a cut in salary, and we find out

quickly that money doesn’t grow on trees (like our children think it does)!

E) Sometimes we take our spiritual blessings for granted!

* Do you remember when your pastor first started your church, how grateful you were that God

had sent him to do the work? * You listened to his sermons carefully and took them to heart!