Daily Bread Feb. 22

For Complainers like Me…and Maybe You!
By Gary Piper of Fort Gratiot, MI, USA


There are many who say, “O that we might see some good!
   Let the light of your face shine on us, O LORD!”
You have put gladness in my heart
   more than when their grain and wine abound.
I will both lie down and sleep in peace;
   for you alone, O LORD, make me lie down in safety. —Psalm 4:6–8 NRSV

I have a confession to make: I am a habitual complainer! My complaining specialty is a visual, not audible, method of communication. If you want to see me at work, you’ll only need to observe my body language for a short period of time. Over and over I’ve tried to break the habit, but for some reason it always boomerangs at the most inopportune times. Somehow it’s etched deeply in my DNA (Daily Normal Activities)!

There are times when I say to myself, “Gary, God may have made you, but God didn’t make you a complainer. You did that all by yourself.” After a brief pause to readjust my body language from complainer to “uncomplainer” (I made that word up!), I follow with, “I sure am glad God loves and never gives up on complainers like me (and maybe you).”

This morning while connecting with God during my Bible reading time, I found a scripture that cut right to my heart. If you’re a complainer like me (and I’m not suggesting you are), it might speak to you just like it did to me:

“The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged. For the Lord hears the cries of the needy; he does not despise his imprisoned people.” —Psalm 69:32–33 NLT

If you’re a complainer like me, you’ve already figured out God’s message in those 35 words, haven’t you? In case you’re not a complainer, let me tell you what God wanted me to know: “Gary, accept things where and as they are. Change what you can change. (Be humble.) Accept and move on with those things you cannot change. As long as you seek me, I will walk with you and bless you in my own way and in my own time. (Be encouraged.) I will ALWAYS hold you in my heart and the Holy Spirit will ALWAYS be in yours. (God’s love is unconditional.)” (My version of Psalm 69:32–33)

By the way, confession IS good for the soul! So if you’re a complainer, visual or otherwise, God is waiting to hear from you. Don’t keep God waiting!

Prayer Phrase

God is with us.

Invitation to Spiritual Practice

Holy Attention

Ordinary time is a season for awakening to God’s presence in all the details and circumstances of our everyday, ordinary lives. Wherever you are, pay attention to your surroundings. Allow yourself to be fully present for a time with whatever is before you. Where do you sense God with you right now exactly where you are?

How does today’s story invite you to discover God in the realities of your everyday life?

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.

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