Whining in the Wilderness…A Leanness Of Soul

“He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.” Ps 106:15 

No one likes a whiner. Does this sound like a familiar pattern for today?

While living as slaves in Egypt for many long years, the Israelites cried out daily, “ Lord deliver us, save us, get us out of here!” While crossing the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land they continued their cries, “ God we are going to die out here! We were better off in Egypt. At least we had all the food we wanted!” So God in His compassion delivered food right to their doorway and fresh manna bread actually fell at their feet. This was a diet so perfect and healthy that the Bible states “ there was not one feeble person among them.”(Psalm 105:37). However, after a short time, they began to cry out again, “ We’re tired of this stuff, we don’t like this manna. Where’s the meat? We want something more than what you’ve blessed us with? We deserve better.” So God once again said okay to their grumbling and wailing. “Tell the people: ‘Consecrate yourselves in preparation for tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it. You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or twenty days, but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord, who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why did we ever leave Egypt?” (Nu 11:18-20)

Ouch! Such a lesson! Be careful of what you are asking, because you might very well get it! Covetousness angers God because it is rooted in pride and spills forth in ingratitude. Covetousness is defined as an excessive desire for wealth or possessions, or an excessive desire for anything in our lives that we seek more readily than God. The Bible says “He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.” (Psalm 106:15.) What a dreadful prospect! He actually sent leanness into their souls.

With God we can be satisfied with very little, but without Him there is no satisfaction. There is only leanness of soul; an emptiness, an insatiable longing that can never be filled. Many of us say that God is first place in our lives, but our desires reveal our hearts. “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks”. (Luke 6:45) God viewed the hearts of His people and the malnutrition of their souls. Sadly, we often view God, consciously and unconsciously, as positioned only to fill our endless requests and “questionable” desires.

What are you coveting today that has put your life on hold or that you find yourself continually begging God for? The question is: “How lean is your soul?” What will it take for you and for me to come to a settled place in Him where the manna fills and fully satisfies each and every day of our lives?

God is the only true essential for our lives. Nothing can even partially fill His seat.

“Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. (Isaiah 55:2)

Oh may our souls delight in the fatness of contentment in Him!

When will our prayers and our voices find rest in crying out daily, “Lord today and every day, You are my ultimate desire. You are more than enough…I just want more of you…”

 

Be Blessed…

2 replies
  1. Earnestine Smiley
    Earnestine Smiley says:

    Love love love this passage I was reading and didn’t know what leanness in psalms 106:15 were God gave them up into leanness into there soul so I search it and I came to this page to further have a understanding so bless thank u lord I understand now wow wow lord I never want leanness of any such in my soul thank u indestructible daughters for understanding bless to u all wonderful blog I will send to my daughters and friend family 💕💕🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.