April 20, 2022

Numbers 11:4-6, NASB
4 Now the rabble who were among them had greedy cravings; and the sons of Israel also wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish which we used to eat for free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6 but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna!”

I’ve been told I am one of the worst people to buy a present for at Christmas. Why? I look around and can’t think of anything I need. So when my family asks, “What do you want for Christmas?”, I usually don’t have an answer for them.

Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t mean I don’t want things. There are certain things that would be a dream to have, but they are pretty expensive. So I won’t ask for those as a gift. As far as physical things go, God has blessed us and I am content with what we have.

On the other hand, my appetite is not content. I can be satisfyingly full from a meal, and not need another bite to eat. And then they offer dessert, and my brain says, “Ooooh….I need that”, while my stomach says, “You put one more morsel of food in me and I will make this the worst night of your life.” My brain usually wins.

It’s really easy to want for more, and overlook the great things God has given you. Even if what you have seems small, it is still a great gift and blessing from God.
Israel complained. Well, the rabble was greedy, and Israel joined them. 

So you know, a “rabble” is a mixed crowd. Looking this up, it is assumed that not all the people in the wilderness were Israelites. Since the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, there were other slaves that weren’t Israelites. They may have escaped with Israel during the last plague. Others contend that this describes a “spiritual” situation in Israel - that not all had a genuine, real relationship with God. Either way, there was a mixed crowd that brought the whole of Israel down with them. 

You know what they say, “A bad apple spoils the whole bunch” (so does any fruit and potatoes too….blech, rotten potatoes smell terrible).

It’s easy to want more when all you have is very little. It’s easy to want more when you are having the same thing day in and day out. It’s easy to be greedy.

Sometimes we might think, “Oh I would love to have a house on the beach and enjoy walking out my doors onto the sand.” Well, you’re in luck. I found just the home for you. Just click on this link to take a look at this beautiful, almost 8,000 square foot home in Dana Point (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/31-Strand-Beach-Dr-Dana-Point-CA-92629/69250140_zpid/).

If you didn’t follow the link, you didn’t see all the great pictures. It is an amazing home. But as you scroll through you will see the cost of this amazing home. It is being offered for the incredibly low price of $22,500,000 (yes, you read that right…22 million). 

What is the price of greed and wanting more….a mere monthly payment of $115,369. Yes, that is the mortgage payment. No, that does not include utilities. So the monthly payment of luxury could be around $117,000. Per month. I know families that don’t make that in a year.

All that to say, greed has a way of ruining us, and those around us. Lao-tzu said it well, “There is no calamity greater than lavish desires, there is no greater guilt than discontentment, and there is no greater disaster than greed.”

Back to our passage, what was the rabble greedy about? All the food they left behind in Egypt (mind you, they seemed to forget to thank God for rescuing them from horrific slavery, but hey….we all make mistakes). The fish, melons, garlic…all for free (again, except for the slavery part).

Just a few verses later we are told the manna, which miraculously appeared every morning (except the Sabbath), tasted like cake baked with oil. 

All our diet fads nowadays seem to tell us to stay away from carbs. Limit carbs! Avoid carbs! What is God’s diet plan for Israel as they wander through the wilderness…CARBS!! Not just any carbs, cake! Mmmmmm….caaaake.

The danger of greed is that it lurks around every corner, waiting for any opportunity to pounce on our hearts and minds, challenging the idea that what God gives is enough. And the moment we give in to greed, we open ourselves to a flood of selfish wants that can sweep away the good things we have while pushing us off the solid ground God has paved for our feet to walk on.

So how do we turn our greed into contentment? How can we find ourselves satisfied with what God has given us? Even if others may have more, how can we be content with where God has us now?

First: realign your desires. Pray that you would see all the great things God has given you. Jesus taught us to “seek first God’s kingdom” (Matthew 6:33). David the man after God’s own heart, writes, “One thing have I desired of the Lord and that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life” (Psalm 27:4). David talks quite a bit about being satisfied in God, having his desires met by God and God alone.

Second: be thankful. Gratitude has an amazing way of keeping greed at bay. Psalm 136 starts out the first three verses like this: “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good…give thanks to the God of gods…Give thanks to the Lord of lords.” Immediately following each statement the psalmist reminds us of this: His steadfast love endures forever.

Third: remember. Remember what God has done, how He has provided and how He has always been there. In 1 Chronicles 16:12 David writes, “Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles and the judgments He uttered.” When greed tries to creep in, push it back by remembering all of who God is, and all that He has done in the past. Be reminded if He provided like this in the past, He will surely continue to do so in the present and in the future.

Now, excuse me while I go try to apply this to my appetite and remind it that enough is more than enough and it doesn’t need any more.