Chapter 11: Emptying “Grumbling” In the previous chapter, we looked at the life of emptying ourselves of sexual immorality and wrongful desires and turning our love back toward God. Now, in Chapter 11, we will look at another problem that easily settles into our hearts and onto our lips. It is a grumbling heart. As we go through life, there are many moments when we grumble. “Why did this happen to me?” “Why does that person treat me this way?” “Why is my family going through such a difficult time?” “Why is the church like this?” “Why did God allow this?” Even when we do not speak these words aloud, we may repeat them countless times in our hearts. But in the Bible, grumbling is not merely a matter of uttering a few complaints. Grumbling can change the direction of our gaze, cause us to forget God’s grace, and even change the way we look at people and circumstances. Therefore, ...
Day 29: Jonah 2:3-4, 8-10 Even so, I will look to the Lord again. We tend to resist the difficult realities given to us, often expressing it through complaints and resentment. However, if we can find God's blessings even in the midst of accepting those challenging realities, we can truly say that person is a blessed believer. Jonah the prophet is considered to be one of such individuals. The reality he faced was that he was on the verge of life and death physically, and spiritually, he felt cast away from God, experiencing the weariness of soul. However, even in such circumstances, Jonah resolved, "Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple" (Jonah 2:4), looking to the Creator God, who is greater than "the deep" and its "billows" (v. 3). Through this, he came to realize the grace God bestowed upon him (v. 8), and he was reaffirmed in his calling as a worshiper (v. 9). He was reborn not as...