These Good Old Days

Those good old days

Do you ever sit around talking about the good old days? How much better things were way back when... In Exodus 16 we see that under the leadership of Moses, the Israelite's had just left Egypt and their bondage of slavery. They had been witnesses to the power and glory of God.

They had just witnessed God's power as He parted the Red Sea, opening a path for them to walk on dry land to the other side. What an awesome sight that must have been... to walk on dry land as a wall of water stood on either side of them only to fall back down on the Egyptian army drowning them all! Interestingly just a short time after they experienced the awesome power of God, His miraculous protection and provision...these very same people began to grumble and complain because their bellies were hungry.

Exodus 16 2-3"In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the Lords hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."Oh, those good old days!What about those good old days? How good were they?

Pharaoh had the Israelites under the tight screw of slavery. They were beaten, mistreated and their baby boys were murdered. Yet they were thinking only about having enough food and not about their suffering under Pharaoh. They did not remember Gods faithfulness and His provision.

What about us? Are we talking about the good old days and grumbling about today? Are we focusing on the times of pleasure and comfort and forgetting that there were hardships too? Today we are living in difficult times. Our economy is in trouble, people are losing homes and jobs. Our future looks troubling. Yes it is true you and I are facing some difficult days ahead. Should we sit around grumbling and crying? Each one of us has seen the Hand of God and His provision in our lives.

And truthfully, He has not only provided, He has blessed us above and beyond. Perhaps instead of grumbling we could give God praise and thanks for His abundant provision in the past, and His provision for today and His faithfulness for tomorrow. Just maybe these difficult times will bring us to our knees seeking His face, seeking His strength...trusting Him. We have seen His faithfulness in the past, now we need to trust Him for our today.Psalm 13:5-6"But I will trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me."AMEN!

Mary Ann Kiernan and John have been married for 35 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of two grandsons. She serves at America's Keswick as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.