Be Served Graciously
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.) So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”
Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.
There the Lord issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test. He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”
Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water.
Exodus 15:22-27
God chose Moses to be the leader of his people. Now, usually when we think of “divinely appointed leaders” we think of kings and queens—the kind of people everyone else serves while they lead.
But throughout Moses’ life, his leadership was not “I’ll sit back and relax while you do all the work.” No! God put Moses in a position to serve. God even tells us, “Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).
And what did this humble service do for Moses? Did it bring him appreciation and gratefulness from the people he served? Hardly. Again and again, as Moses tried to serve the people, they complained about it.
They complained when they thought they weren’t going to have water (Exodus 15:22-27).
They complained when they thought they weren’t going to have any food (Exodus 16:1-3).
They complained when they thought they were going to die trying to take the Promised Land (Numbers 14).
They complained that Moses was setting himself up as leader, not God (Numbers 16).
They complained when God put down that rebellion (Numbers 16:41).
They complained about the regulations of the tabernacle (Numbers 17:12,13).
They complained about the food they had from God (Numbers 21:1-9).
Do you get the picture? No matter how Moses tried to serve the people, they complained.
So, what does God do?
Sometimes he just listens to their complaint and answers it in spite of their complaining. What grace!
Sometimes he does punish them—even putting the most rebellious to death. But he never just wipes them out. Again, what grace from God!
But it is clear on all those occasions that the people sinned. It is only because of God’s undeserved love that they were not destroyed.
Jesus encourages us all to be servants to one another. Our service flows out of the unmatchable service Jesus has performed and still performs for us. He did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
Since it is not just one of us who’s called to service but us all, that means there will be times when others will serve us. What will our attitude be at those times?
Will we complain that they have not served us the way we want to be served—even if their service has filled our need?
Will we complain that they aren’t doing things the right way (i.e., the way we want them done)?
Will we complain that they didn’t seek our input or opinion?
Will we complain so much that their joyful service turns into a burden for them, even into resentment?
Or will we consider that God has put those people in our lives to serve us just as we are called to serve them? In other words, God himself is using their service—even up to the manner of their service—to take care of us.
Indeed, no service from one Christian to another will be perfect. We won’t find perfect service like Christ’s in the service of Christians. But we can see the fruits of Christ’s grace in their service. And we can serve them by being gracious as they serve God by serving us.