Crosspoint Family,
When you think about all God did for the Israelites, it’s really almost comical that they would grumble and complain. Think about it. They saw the plagues....the Nile turned to blood, frogs everywhere, gnats, flies, livestock dying, boils, VW sized hail, locusts, darkness......and they heard the wind of the “destroyer” passing over their homes and visiting every Egyptian home taking the firstborn. Then they saw the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire leading them on their way. They ate food that fell from the sky. They walked across the dry floor of the Red Sea. They heard God speak and felt the earth tremble at Sinai. Complaining and grumbling in light of all of this makes Israel look like a bunch of buffoons, doesn’t it? Their longing for meat pots and a place to be buried in Egypt and the yoke of slavery makes them look ridiculous...........from here. From here.....they look like they just don’t get it.
I ask you to consider, Crosspoint family, what we look like when we complain or grumble or moan or belly-ache in light of what He’s done for us? In light of the victory won on the shores of our dark chaotic hearts, how then could we complain? It must be because we lose sight of what He’s really done for us in Christ. Maybe it’s because we forget our imprisonment to sin and death. Or possibly because we get so caught up in the trauma of the moment we fail to stick our head above it and see what a Good and Gracious God has secured for us in Christ.
I urge you to discuss the gospel with your family this week. The way we keep this reality in view is by intentionally engaging it and I think you’ll find Exodus 14 is a family gospel lob!!! Is the gospel in view IN your trials? How might you keep it in view? Are you fueled by gratitude and marvel and wonder that God would care for you with His best and only Son, Yeshua? These matters are worth discussing and thinking on. The dinner table is a good place to talk about it. Long car rides are good too. In the park, in the den, in the cubicle, in the front yard/back yard/side yard. I’m praying you’ll connect to these great realities this week.
If the gospel came into focus for you this week for the first time and you need to talk with someone about where to go from here.....send me an email and we’ll set something up. It’ll be time well spent.
Ben McGraw
