“Look to the right and see; for there is no one who regards me; there is no escape for me; no one cares for my soul. I cried out to Thee, O Lord; I said, “Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” (Psalm 42:4-5 NASB)
There are several companies that have done away with complaint boxes and given them a more neutral, non-negative connotation type label, as if not to encourage complaining. The complaint boxes have been replaced by labels such as “Feedback Boxes,” Suggestion Boxes,” “Comment Boxes.” Many of us agree with the song that says, “I won’t complain,” acknowledging that God has been so good to me. But yet like God’s people who were freed from Egyptian captivity by the hand of God, a sign of His goodness for sure, they grumbled; they complained as opposes to being thankful for where the Lord had brought them from. Be honest! At times, we do the same thing, Thank God for His patience and understanding! Thank God for looking past that particular fault and helping us get better in terms of our gratitude beyond the day of Thanksgiving, for example.
After you get through thanking God, Listen to this! I learned something Sunday as one of the Deacons at our church did the Teaching Emphasis, a feature that allows willing members who are not in the pulpit ministry to teach the congregation a valuable point from the Scriptures. The Deacon’s subject was about complaining, and he pointed out that while we are not chronic complainers, God forbid, we definitely have a need at times to express our grievances about our conditions and circumstances to God above. He has a figurative complaint box, for He listens patiently as we cry out to Him. Thank God again, for this helps us stay balanced, release some of our anxiety, as we talk it out. I slept in my I-Watch last night. I had awakened way too early. I tossed and I turned until I assume my watch got tired of my movements and it buzzed. I looked at it and it said “Breathe.” Complaining lets’ us breathe, much better than suppressing our true feelings and holding in all that anxiety.
You see, when we utilize God’s complaint box; when we come to Him, tell Him all about it, and put it all in His hands, we not only feel better, but our confidence climbs to a height where we look forward, with confidence, to when our souls shall be released from whatever is imprisoning us in whatever type of cave that we find ourselves, different, but figuratively like the cave David found himself in the Psalm reference above. Just as David, as we cry out, at the same time we must look with confidence to the day ahead when we will be in the position to give even more thanks to God for bringing us out and letting us realize that we shall be bountifully blessed. I pay attention when others teach. I absorb it and I process it. And now I’m publishing what I processed. I had to pass this on because it will help many of us during this holiday season.
Now, meditating a little myself, I took it a step further. I recalled that after Job had, complained about his circumstances, from my view, in his discourse in The Book of Job, Chapter 30 where He longed for the prime of His days when the friendship of God was over his tent; when the Almighty was yet with him, and his children were around him, and when his steps were bathed in butter, and when the rock poured out streams of oil for Job. Job used the complaint box. But after he released his thoughts, reminiscing of things before his losses, and after his so-called friends tried to comfort him and simultaneously confuse him with their explanations, God broke His silence and spoke to Job directly. Start reading at Job 38 if you want to check it out. God had allowed Job to complain, but afterwards He cleared things up. Job listened to God after his complaining, something we must do when we submit our grievances to God. For then we will come out not only better, but blessed more than before. Have a great Tuesday! Think on these things! Meditate and search the word purposefully! Pray! Cry unto the Lord if you need to do so! Let Him clear things up for you so you will experience a profound change in your disposition. Understand the need of your patience and acknowledge that He has purpose. Understand that He has not forgotten you! Understand that He will be with you! Understand that He will help you! Do you feel better yet? Well, start being joyful! Hallelujah! Start praising God, regardless of what you are going through! It’s true! He will hear your faintest cry! He will answer by and by! I love you friend! Be blessed!
“Then Job answered the Lord and said, I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted.” (Job 42:1-2 NASB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King