Echoes of Truth
February 8th
Theme: One Source, One Result
Grumbling and gratitude are, for the child of God, in conflict. Be grateful and you won’t grumble. Grumble and you won’t be grateful – Billy Graham
Diana stared at the box she had won at the Church’s treasure hunt. The box looked antique and was donated by one of the elderly women in the Church to boost the value of the hunt. The old woman had been so bent on adding it to the list of things to hunt. She could not stop raving about how she looks forward to a younger woman coming to possess the box.
Alas, Diana is that younger woman. She stared at the box again wondering what was so special about it. ‘Of all the nice things to have won, I had to get this box. Everyone knows that Mama Ivy is one to exaggerate matters. To think that she even refused to let go of the key to the lock. She kept hammering that no key was required from her end, ever so sheepishly’.
‘I have been job hunting for over five months now, I am practically broke. I barely have anything left to sustain me to the end of the month. If only the treasure I found was that with the cash gift. That would have solved my problem for another month with the hope of getting a job before it runs out.’
Looking at the tiny lettering on the lock to the box, a verse, 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Diana knew it by heart but she said to herself, ‘there is nothing to be thankful for right now’. Meanwhile Mama Ivy sat expectantly by her phone awaiting a call from the winner of her box. ‘I believe she will say that scripture and the box will open up. She will find a note offering the deeds to my business and I can go for my retirement while she becomes a business owner’. Mama Ivy waited in vain.
Apostle James warns that our mouths can never produce both fresh and bitter waters (James 3:10-12). In the same vein, grumbling and gratitude cannot live together in the heart of a child of God. They are opposing postures of the soul, where one grows and the other withers. A heart filled with gratitude is focused on God’s blessings, while a heart filled with grumbling focuses on what is ‘missing’ not recognising God’s goodness.
Grumbling is more than the words we speak out loud. It is an inward attitude that reflects dissatisfaction, distrust, and sometimes forgetfulness of who God is and what He has done. Gratitude, on the other hand, is a posture of remembrance, humility, and faith. It acknowledges God’s sovereignty and goodness, even when circumstances are uncomfortable.
The Bible gives us one of the clearest pictures of grumbling in the story of the Israelites in the wilderness. After God miraculously delivered them from slavery in Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and destroyed their enemies, the people quickly turned to complaint. They grumbled about water (Exodus 15:24), food (Exodus 16:2–3), leadership (Numbers 14:2), and the journey itself. Their grumbling revealed not just discomfort, but a deeper issue, lack of trust in God’s provision and purpose
In Numbers 14:27, God says, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me?” This verse shows us that grumbling is not a small or harmless habit. God calls it evil not because He lacks compassion, but because grumbling contradicts faith. It accuses God of doing wrong, even when He is working out His perfect will.
How often do we see ourselves in the Israelites? We pray for deliverance, breakthrough, healing, or provision, and when God answers, we rejoice for a moment. Then when the next challenge comes, our praise turns into complaint. We forget past faithfulness and focus on present discomfort. Grumbling blinds us to the goodness of God that is already surrounding us.
Gratitude does the opposite. Gratitude opens our eyes. It trains our hearts to see God’s hand at work even in ordinary moments. Psalm 103:2 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” Gratitude is an act of remembrance,remembering that of ourselves, we amount to nothing. It pulls us out of self-pity and into worship. It reminds us that God has been faithful before, and He will be faithful again.
May all the days of our lives be filled with thanksgiving in Jesus name. Amen
Listen to this short sermon and pray along: https://youtu.be/6PJxt-Mwvcs?si=bAnXILKO1KJLXiST
Let Us Pray:
Abba Father, we thank You for You are faithful and You have called us to give thanks in all circumstances. Thank You for calling us to align our hearts to You in our day-to-day lives. We ask Lord that You help our hearts to remain thankful, help us to always see You as our source of life. Let nothing take us away from Your presence, may we not miss out on Your blessings due to grumbling. Lord Jesus, work on us until we look like You, thank You Father, in Jesus name we pray. Amen.
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