A Lesson for today as well

I've been in Judges the past month or so. Have to admit I ventured in wondering why Judges. It's amazing how God speaks through His word and in such a timely fashion. I love how He gives us what we need when we need it if we are intentionally pursuing Him and chasing hard after His way.
This morning I was in chapter 12. Israel had just won a great battle, but instead of joy, there was pettiness and quarreling. Ephraim was an unhappy tribe. They were angry and jealous. Why??? Oh, because they were not invited to join the fighting ALTHOUGH Jephthah said he HAD invited them. Hmmmmm. Insulting others and being jealous are not right responses when we feel left out. Seeking revenge for an insult is just as wrong and very costly.
Ok, well this isn't so hard to apply even if it is in the Old Testament. How often are things going so well and God is working and doing great things and yet not all of His people can be happy about it. We quarrel among ourselves. We choose petty things to complain about probably because we are looking for a complaint. We side up with others because we know they are unhappy too and will quarrel along with us. We are jealous because we are not included in a particular thing and instead of being joyful that God is working in it we get focused on ourselves and become a cancer. And by the way, Ephraim was invited. How often to we listen to the wrong people and the story isn't just tweaked it's a bold face lie and by the way exaggeration is a form of lying. I know it's just easier because it goes right along with our flesh and we just give way to it. It's so much harder to fight those feelings and allow God to show us our sin and wrongdoing and allow Him to change us. I never cease to be amazed at who is willing to side up with the devil and then not even have eyes to see it. We are a blessed people!! We are His people!! We are children of the Most High God and we should be about acting like it. God give us discernment in who we side with and who we trust and let's get on with making a difference where God has placed us and BE JOYFUL!! Andy Stanley said it best..."we are in a race, time is running out. We need to be about reaching people not necessarily keeping people. There's work to do and we won't get it done whining about what is good for us and what we want".