August 7, 2026
Friday, August 7
How could the Israelites drift so far from God that they wanted to murder Moses, the man who had led them to freedom? Yesterday, we saw that sin can work in our hearts like an addiction. We get so captivated by our sin that we tell ourselves lies to keep from confronting it. Soon, we’re saying things like, “We had it better in Egypt,” and believing it.
But there’s something else that leads us to backslide: An attitude of entitlement. We see this in Exodus 17, when the people demand that Moses provide water in the desert. Imagine the nerve (Jews today would call it chutzpah) of people who say, “Hey, miracle boy! This manna’s making me thirsty! Do something!”
When I was in my twenties and new to pastoral ministry, I had an older friend who encouraged me, advised me when I didn’t know what to do, and invested in me. You could say he had a transforming relationship with me, and I was (and am) immensely grateful for that. Years later, I was stunned to hear that this same man had stolen tens of thousands of dollars from the ministry he led. How could this happen? He explained that, years before, he had received a large inheritance, and he and his wife had grown accustomed to living a fairly affluent lifestyle. When the money dried up, they didn’t cut back, even though the salary he earned couldn’t support it. He didn’t decide one day to become an embezzler; he took money from time to time, never large amounts, and always with the intention of paying it back soon. The debt mounted and mounted, and finally brought down a gifted minister.
Beware, my friends, of the voice inside each of us that whispers seductively, “You deserve better than this. You deserve more.”
Teenagers, here’s how that voice often sounds at your stage of life: “Why should those other kids have more fun than I am?”
Young adults, it can sound like, “I’m only young for a little while. I need to focus on my physical desires and my career goals. There will be time to seek after God later.”
For us middle-aged types, it sounds like, “Your youth is slipping away like sand in an hourglass. Go out and chase happiness before it’s gone.”
For people who are post-retirement, it can be the voice of fear and anger, “I know Jesus said love your neighbor, but I’m sure He wasn’t talking about these people who are different than me, who are moving into my neighborhood and changing things.”
Those are all entitlement statements. We expect God to give us certain things, and when He doesn’t, we take matters into our own hands. That never, ever works. That is how we backslide.
“Lord, thank you for not giving me what I deserve. Thank you instead for giving me grace upon grace. Weed out the attitude of entitlement that exists in me. Replace it with contentment and humility, in Jesus’ name, amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
