“And the people of Israel said to them, ‘Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'” Exodus 16:3
March 11, 2026
Change is a part of life, but it can be mismanaged. We can long for the past with harmful results. Remembering “the good old days” when going through tough times can lead to grumbling against God. It happened to Israel in the early days of deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Israel longed to be back in Egypt and better eating days. We can choose to remember only certain aspects of the past, while ignoring the spiritual realities of the present. Such a disposition can obscure the opportunities to serve God in times of testing. Think of the change that occurs when a loss takes place like the empty nest. Children leave home to pursue their adult life. Poor health and medication can alter the hopeful expectations of retirement years. Remembering the good old days can become an affliction of old age by allowing nostalgia to cloud our thinking. A complaining attitude and withdrawing from others is a recipe for a miserable existence. Self deception is fed by romanticizing the past. The make-believe world of “home entertainment” can shrivel the soul. Thank God for the true blessings of the past, but don’t let them blot out what God wants to do in your life now.
H
Reflections:
What tends to occupy your thoughts during the morning hours?
Think of ways you can serve others in the next week.