This might not be a question you’ve ever asked yourself, but we don’t have to look far in the news or on social media to see examples of dissatisfaction.
These are some headlines from the last year that all have dissatisfaction in the title: public satisfaction with NHS hits All Time Low, with dissatisfaction doubling in two years survey, says. Dissatisfaction with democracy at record high. Nurses strikes show staff dissatisfaction. British social attitudes survey reveals record level of dissatisfaction with social care services.
I wonder if you can think of any other headlines or circumstances that might indicate some dissatisfaction in the world around us. I wonder what comes to mind when we think of our own lives, are there things that we’re dissatisfied with?
When I looked up the dictionary definition of dissatisfaction – the entry says: lack of satisfaction. Which isn’t very helpful although it does come With a sentence example of:
“widespread public dissatisfaction with incumbent politicians”
If we look at The dictionary definition then of Satisfaction it is described as the fulfilment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this.
Therefore dissatisfaction is when one’s wishes, expectations or needs are not met, and there is no pleasure gained from this.
Until I was preparing for this time, and I didn’t realise that actually dissatisfaction or rather Satisfaction can be measured.
There exists in the world, a world happiness report. Apparently these have been published for the last 10 years. United Nations General assembly adopted the observation of March 20 as an international day of happiness, and since then, apparently more and more people have come to believe that the success of countries should be judged by the happiness of the people.
According to statistics of the most recent report
Finland is the No. 1 happiest country in the world for the sixth year in a row. The UK is not in the top 10 of the happiest countries in the world. It does, however, appear in the top 20 – this year, it is the 19th happiest country in the world, following behind Australia (12th), Canada (13th), Ireland (14th), and the United States (15th).
The report is produced using six factors social support, income, health, freedom, generosity, and absence of corruption and the figure is calculated and it is d we termites if you are a happy successful country or not
A Positive response to Dissatisfaction often drives people to make changes: change job, move country, seek new relationships, join a gym, lose weight, start a new hobby.
A positive response to dissatisfaction is when people own it and make changes.
A negative response to dissatisfaction is when grumbling and complaining reigns. Dissatisfaction is recognised and voiced but voiced in a way of complaint, and doesn’t involve taking ownership of that dissatisfaction.
Hebrew people were dissatisfied
This is definitely the case in Our reading from Exodus today. The Hebrew people are utterly dissatisfied with their lot. And are grumbling away.
They’ve escaped from slavery in Egypt in a pretty fantastic and unforgettable way, but its not long before the grumbling starts and they’ve appeared to forgotten what their life was like before.
They complain to their leaders, to Moses and Aaron, for having led them out into the desert. They can’t see beyond their immediate situation and seem to have forgotten who is really in charge.
In v3 they say if only we died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt there we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time he’s right side complained to Moses, and it was in the last in Exodus 15 verse 24, we read the bush people grumbled against Moses, saying what are we to drink. The Israelites had come out of slavery in Egypt through the red Sea they saw God at work. They put their trust in Henry’s in verse 31 of chapter 14 and chapter 15 starts with this amazing song of praise, and then they start out from the other side of the red Sea going into the desert of shur. I’ve been going three days there isn’t water around. Then they find some water but it’s better and so they cry out this complaint.
For God intervenes, he tells Moses how to make the water become fit to drink
Then, as they carry on the journey, they come to a place where there’s 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees, so there is shade and shelter and water being provided and then one verse later we get to grumbling again
If only we died in by the Lord’s hand in Egypt (16:3)
Had they really forgotten?
Sadly, the Israelites grumbling didn’t stop after chapter 16. In Exodus 17 they’ve travelled on again and are once again in a place with no water and in v3 they complain to Moses why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?
Before, God provided water for them, and he does again, and yet still they don’t seem to get it, that God is on their side. Their dissatisfaction turns to grumbling.
Response to their grumbling
I would’ve been tempted to go hello! Red Sea! walls of water on either side! Walked through on dry ground. Hello!!
Moses however responded differently. He didn’t take their criticism Personally, he recognised it for what it was. In v7, he says, who are we that you should grumble against us? And in v8, who are we? you are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.
Gods response is to use it as an opportunity to further show the Israelites who he is, what he means to them and what he does for them.
Firstly, he use it as an opportunity to provide food for them, v4 we read I will rain down bread from heaven for you, in v12 it says at Twilight, she will eat meat and in the morning you will be filled with bread and v13: that evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning, there was a layer of dew around the camp. This dew was bread from heaven. Described as white flakes and it’s called manna because translated manna means what is it? God provided for their physical needs.
I think also in this passage she provides for the spiritual and emotional needs to, he provides them with a pattern of rest. In this passage, it’s quite subtle, but if we read v5 it says on the six day, they are to prepare what they bringing, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days. This was because the seventh day would be the sabbath and say God is providing enough food on the sixth day to last through to the seventh.
Finally, God’s response to their grumbling is to be present with them. We read in v10 ‘ they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord, appearing in the cloud.’ God made his presence known to his people. Later on in the book of exodus, we see that go appears to them in the clouds during the day, and in a pillar of fire at night as they walked through the wilderness. When God instructs his people to build a tabernacle, a place of worship, there is a place within that where his presence is to dwell – in the ark of the covenant. Later on in their history in the temple Gods presence is there. When they’re instructed to build a temple, there is a special place, the holy of holies, where gods presence was to dwell. We as Christians in the 21st-century enjoy God’s presence within our hearts through the power of his Holy Spirit. Gods desire is to be with his people to be present with them. It was the same back in the garden of Eden when we read that God walked in the cool of the day, looking for Adam. God continues to desire to be present with his people today.
Why does God respond in the way he does to their dissatisfaction and grumbling? I think he does it to see them obedience to see if they will follow him and trust in him. I think he does it to show that he listens. There is many repetitions of the phrase and God heard their grumbling throughout this passage. He did it to show that he acts that he has God, that he longed to be present with them, because of his love for them as his special chosen people, and he did it because he is God is the I am who is the same yesterday today and forever he was an is an is to come, and he wanted the Israelites to know that more and more.
God has saved them from slavery for freedom, and I wonder if part of their satisfaction because their expectations were very different from God’s intentions. I wonder if they expected to just be picked out of Egypt and put directly into the promised stand. This was not the case there was a journey for them to go on that journey gave them opportunity to know God better.
Their Dissatisfaction may have come from not fully knowing who God really was, from not realising his love for them, and that he would and could provide for all of their needs. Maybe they didn’t fully understand the need to follow, obey, trust.
God promises to provide for his people’s needs
In this account in Exodus God is listening to his people he’s continuing to reveal himself to them and he provides for their needs. God bring satisfaction to his people they just had to trust scripture is full of examples of this truth that God would provide for all his peoples needs.
This morning our opening verse was from Isaiah 58:11 – the Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a son, scorch land, and will strengthen your frame. You’ll be like a well watered garden, like a spring, whose waters never fail. What a beautiful image, an image of flourishing. In psalm 23 we read the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. Again, an image of God, being a guide, a protector, providing for all his children’s needs, and in the new Testament book of Matthew, Jesus says these words in the sermon on the mount. ‘ Therefore do not worry saying ‘what shall we eat?, or ‘what shall we drink?’ or ‘what shall we wear for?’ After all these things the Gentiles seek. for your heavenly father knows that you need all these things, but seek first, the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
God will provide for everything we need if we put him first, and keep her eyes fixed on, following him and obeying his will for our lives.
I think dissatisfaction comes about when our wants are in a opposition to our needs. Or they overtake our needs. A few years ago I went through a period of dissatisfaction. I’ve been lucky to know God most of my life. I’ve never not consciously known what Jesus has done for me another, I said a prayer of Faith at the age of nine I’d known the reality of Jesus is Love for me before then. faith is a journey. I’ve been on an amazing faith journey , the last 40 years. But I was feeling dissatisfied. I was looking at people around me and seeing the married and with families. My want was making me dissatisfied. However, God knows what I need and right now I’m really content with my life. God has always given me what I need. I needed to be single and without family ties to be able to care for my mum. moving here. I think it’s been made easier not having a family. I felt extremely blessed being brought here to Ramsgate. I know that everything in my past has brought me to this point I am truly satisfied. I know that Jesus is the way the truth and the life is the person that I wanna fix my eyes on.
Jesus says that he is the bread of life anyone who comes to him, will never be hungry. Anyone who comes to him, will never be thirsty. In a Bible, reading manna was the bread of Heaven. Jesus is the tree bread from heaven who brings full satisfaction. Life isn’t easy, but when we do become dissatisfied, let’s look at those reasons. And maybe see if something is out of balance.
Jesus promises life in abundance: life, fully satisfied. So are you satisfied?
Maybe you don’t know the joy of Jesus being your guide maybe we just need more reminders of his provision, sharing those truths with each other sharing our stories. God is the I am he is the same yesterday today and forever. He doesn’t change and will never change so let’s keep trusting that he will provide for all of our needs for now and always Amen
St. Luke's Church Ramsgate 