“So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded. “Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?”” (Exodus‬ ‭17:2‬ NLT)

It’s so easy to move through Exodus and point fingers. It’s far more uncomfortable to read of the Israelites’ ogling wrestle with whining and idolatry and recognize these tendencies in our own lives.

While the Israelites were living on manna, they started complaining about water.

I wonder, did they even require water? What was nutritionally provided for in the manna that “was white like coriander seed and tasted like honey?” Sounds like a tastier version of kale to me! Perhaps it met their hydration needs as well? Stranger things have happened. Their sandals did not wear out in forty years of wilderness walking; my nikes blow out after six months of hard wear! Was water even an actual need for these folks and their livestock or was it a perceived need, a luxury? God was clearly supernaturally sustaining them, He obviously hadn’t brought them out in the desert to die!

I wonder, instead, if someone started thinking about water, didn’t have the sense to keep it to themselves and wound up making the whole camp thirsty? I do that with cake sometimes. If I think about it long enough I can develop a real appetite for it. Does that mean I need it? No, it means I need to stop thinking about cake.

Whether the need for water was actual or artificial; the Israelites’ approach was all wrong. They went to God’s guy, Moses, and complained. Who was Moses to provide water for two million people in the desert? Who among men could do that in their own strength? A better approach would have been an honest conversation with God about their issue. It might have looked something like this:

Lord, we acknowledge Your miraculous provision in this season. Thank You. We have found ourselves thinking about water. If we need it, if it’

s in Your Kingdom interest, would You provide it? Even if You don’t, we still trust You. You have sustained us this far. You are a good God. Amen.

God always appreciates conversation over complaint. Appeals over demands. Petitions over protests.

It’s time for us to do a quick heart check. How quick are we to complain? To others, rather than taking it to the throne room? What divine conversation might we engage in instead? The more we talk to God the easier it gets.

The problem with the Israelites is that they demanded that Moses do all the talking for them. The truth is that every single one of them and us is capable of striking up conversation with God on our own. We should bring Him our questions and gratitude, even our complaints and praise. He can handle all of it and He longs to engage with us individually. He can fix our issue and us.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” (Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ NLT)