Turning the Car Around

I've been spending a lot of time in the Old Testament lately. Our confirmation class recently covered major themes in the Old Testament and in preparation for teaching, I spent hours reading about how God interacted in the lives of His chosen people, the Israelites. The Old Testament is filled with accounts of God placing Himself, in very real, physical, and tangible ways into the story. And every time I read those stories, I am amazed at how God chooses to act... and how His people choose to respond. Take the Exodus for example...

God led perhaps one of the greatest escapes of all time. Thousands and thousands of oppressed people fled their slavery in Egypt by following His clear guidance and instructions. And all of a sudden, they were free. God had come through... just like He said He would. And things started off great. They were basking in the glow of their new found freedom, eagerly anticipating kicking back in the Promised Land. Then the grumbling started. The people became impatient. They complained about the wandering. Are we there yet? They complained about the food. Manna again?!?! They complained about Moses. Does he even know where he's going? And they complained about God. Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food (Numbers 21:5). And how did God respond to their grumbling and complaining? Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died (Numbers 21:6). Wow. His judgment was swift and serious.

I remember long car trips on family vacations where my brother and I would get restless and inevitably holler from the back seat, "Are we there yet?!?!" And my dad's go-to response was always, "I will turn this car around... I mean it... we will go right back home." He said he meant it. But he never did it. Except for one time. It must have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back because... he did it. He actually turned the care around and drove back home. I remember feeling so ashamed and ungrateful. I'm sure the Israelites never thought their complaining and lack of gratitude would result in a venomous snake attack, kind like how I never thought my dad would actually turn the car around. But it happened.

Stories like that seem embarrassing to us Christians when other people hear them. We almost want to apologize for God, or make excuses for Him. We say, "Well that was the Old Testament. Things are different now." Or "God didn't mean to hurt those people, He was just teaching them a lesson. If you forget to thank your mom for dinner, God won't kill you." But the unmistakable point, the unchanging message, is this: our ungratefulness is more serious than we think. In God's mind, giving thanks matters. He spoke through the apostle Paul about thankless people: Yes, they knew God. But they wouldn't honor Him as their God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result their minds became dark and confused (Romans 1:21 NLT). No honor... no thanks... foolish ideas... confused minds. In God's mind, giving thanks matters. It's a big deal. This month, as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, remember to be grateful for all that you have, and for all that you've been given. And take the time to honor God as the giver of those good gifts. Happy Thanksgiving!