Hearts turning into stones?

1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"
3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"
4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."
(Exodus 17:1-4)

6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert,
9 where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways."
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."
(Psalm 95:6-11)

Meribah means quarrelling and Massah means testing. The Israelites quarrelled with Moses when they did not have water to drink. They tested GOD by challenging the authority of His appointed servant Moses. This was after they had experience the parting of the Red Sea and also the miraculous provision of Manna from heaven.

We would think that if we were one of the Israelites who had seen the Red Sea parted and food literally dropping from the sky, we would never think about rebelling againts God and will probably have absolute faith in Him. But is that true?

Have there been instances in our lives where we have experienced tremendous blessings from God, and we are grateful...for awhile. When we face a challenge or difficulty, what is our first response? Do we then begin to question in our hearts "God, what are you doing about this?". Instead of praying and seeking God for help, are we then expecting Him to do something about it immediately as though he is our maidservant?

Living in this country, are we then proned to do what most people are inclined to doing when they feel that they are not receiving the best: Complain. Perhaps this seems like a small flawed...complain. After all we're just voicing out our rights and helping the system or service to improve, right?

I don't think so...I believe that there is a thin line between complaining and giving feedback. When we complain, we tend to get all emotional and focus on ourselves and how much we have been shortchanged. At that moment, we lose focus on God and on His provision in our lives. In the name of genuinely wanting to help to improve a service or person we are complaining against, we are actually simply trying to fight for something we believe we deserve.

God has told us in His commandments to love His with all our hearts, mind, soul and might, and love our neighbours as ourselves. There've been times when I'm guilty of this: complaining when I do not feel good about something...looking back, I see how unloving and how unkind in my thoughts and words whenever I do that! I do not see how I'm loving God nor my neighbours.

We need to guard every thought and actions lest they slowly and unknowingly lead us to a point where our hearts are so hardened that we cannot hear and see God anymore. Let's not be rebellion and allow our hearts to turn into stones. Instead, let's turn to God and depend on His grace and provision everyday of our lives!