Thanks for parting the sea and all, but now we're hungry

Exodus 15 is a song sung by the Israelites after their miraculous rescue crossing the Red Sea.  A song of praise to Moses, the Lord, and the redemption of Israel. "Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation" (v 13).

Exodus 16 starts with Israel complaining for want of bread. "Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger" (v 3).

Trying to liken the scriptures to my own situation, I find that I've had my moments of redemption and rescue from, well, not slavery, but unhappiness and unfilfillment to be sure.  Also like Israel, I have complained about the want of bread, focusing on things I lack instead of the tremendous blessings I've already received.

That strikes me as a pretty common occurrence.  Israel went through the same cycle many times, as did the Nephites and Jaredites in the Book of Mormon.

Seeing these contrasting attitudes in back-to-back chapters reminds me, when I roll my eyes at the ingratitude and short memory of Israel, that I need to be grateful for my blessings and my rescue.  I'm in the Lord's holy habitation, and if I don't yet have everything I'd like to have there, I can still dedicate myself to Him because what He's given me is so incredible, and so much better than what I had before.

And if I have to wait on the Lord's time frame for more blessings, He's already demonstrated the nature of those blessings, and they're worth waiting for.