"The Lord hears your murmurings which you murmur against Him!" Exodus 16

This is startling! Does God really hear every discontented word we speak? Does God hear when we grumble about the weather, about the hard winter, about the late spring, about the dry summer, about the wet harvest, about the high winds, about the storms? Does God hear when we complain about our circumstances, about the hardness of our lot, about our losses and disappointments? If we could get into our hearts and keep there continually, the consciousness that every word we speak is heard in heaven, and falls upon God's ears before it falls upon any other ear--would we murmur as we now do? ~ J. R. Miller

Just the other day, I sat with a man who was grumbling about a personal problem, family issues, and a lack of direction in his life. How ungrateful. Just last year, I was grumbling about the same things. Funny, when I hear my children complain about "injustices" over toys, food, or "who had it first", it's so easy to see that a lack of gratitude clouds their vision and blinds them to the tremendous blessings they do have. "You have been so blessed!" I remind them, pointing to their health, loving family, and relative lack of problems. How much more should we as Christians be filled to overflowing with thanksgiving when we look at all that God has given us in Jesus Christ! The cross. No Hell. Heaven. Power to defeat sin. Peace. Friendship with God. Eternal love. Blessing Forever. Today, I'm going to whisper different words under my breath; words of praise, honor, and thankfulness to God for all He is, has done, and is yet to do. May you and I be marked as "holy grumblers," always muttering phrases that speak of the greatness, kindness, and love of Jesus Christ. And may we not only murmur them, but speak them openly with our friends, family, and even strangers. ~ Kirk Cameron