I spent a glorious week with my three-year-old grandson, Max. Three-year-olds are so interesting. They are little mimics and repeat back to you things you say and even things you wished they hadn’t heard. I had to be careful of what I said even when he wasn’t listening to me. He looks up to me and allows my words to influence him.
Numbers 11:4 says, “The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ’If only we had meat to eat!’” I did some digging and the “rabble” among them was most likely Egyptians or other foreigners that joined the Israelites out of Egypt. Why would they listen to these people? The Israelites had seen God perform miracles, exempt them from the plagues, free them from slavery, plunder the Egyptians, part the Red Sea, and provide food and water in the desert for them.
The Israelites allowed others to influence them. They were the chosen people, delivered and set apart. Now they are allowing others to tell them what they deserve or should have. Oh, how quick they were to listen to others and stop trusting in God.
What about you? Do you allow what you see, read, or listen to influence you to live your life in a way that is opposed to what God tells us to do? The Bible has a lot to say about how we are to live our lives.
How we should talk: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29).
How we should live: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Spend time with God and in His word and allow the Holy Spirit to be the one that influences you!