阅读经文 

对我们很多人来说，埋怨似乎是我们最喜欢的消遣。我们埋怨天气和我们不情愿穿的衣服，我们埋怨食物和无事可做，我们埋怨交通和科技不便。

在旷野的日子，发怨言是以色列民的第二天性。在这段经文中，以色列民踏上旷野的旅程只有三天，他们便开始发怨言了。他们埋怨艰苦的生活和旷野的食物，他们不想天天吃吗哪，他们要求吃别的东西，他们认为在埃及时的食物似乎要好吃得多。

生命有时会像旷野那样艰苦，然而，我们若发怨言，我们便陷入魔鬼的圈套。我们埋怨时，我们往往会美化我们所没有的；他们在埃及的生活，真的比现在好吗？不知怎么的，他们竟然完全忘记了他们为奴时所忍受的艰辛。我们埋怨时，往往以歪曲的眼光看生命。怨言总是出自那些认为自己配得到更好的人的。

保罗吩咐我们，凡所行的，都不要发怨言。（参腓 2:14）我们做得到吗？我们若懂得专注神在基督里的恩典，我们便做得到了。既然知道我们是蒙神所爱的人，我们岂可时常发怨言呢？祂的恩典能驱使我们以感恩取代埋怨。

Complaining can seem like a favorite pastime for many of us. We complain about the weather and what we have to wear. We complain about food and finding nothing to do. We complain about traffic and technology.

Complaining was second nature for Israel during the wilderness years. In our passage, Israel was only three days into their wilderness journey when they started to complain. They complained about their hardships and the wilderness food. They wanted something different from the manna they had to eat, day in and day out. The food they had eaten in Egypt seemed so much better.

Life, like the wilderness, can be hard, but when we complain, we fall into the devil's trap. When we complain, we tend to glamorize what we don't have. Did they really have it better in Egypt? Somehow the people completely forgot the hardships they had endured there as slaves. When we complain, we tend to see life in a distorted way. Grumbling flows from people who think they deserve something better.

Paul calls us to do everything without grumbling .(see Philippians 2:14) Is this possible? Yes, when we learn to concentrate on God's grace in Christ. How can we complain so often when we know we are loved by God? His grace can move us from grumbling to gratitude.