August 1, 2025 Devo

My wife hates to run. She didn’t participate in sports as a kid and spent most of her school days in a library, rather than in a gym like I did. She’s never experienced a runner’s “high” or felt the excited expectation of an anticipated run. Yet, she is the most disciplined runner I know. Even though she will turn 70 at the end of this month, she runs 3 miles four times a week almost without fail. Why? Because she knows it’s good for her.
Running keeps her heart strong. Running keeps her weight down. Running helps her lungs and bones stay healthy. She hates every minute of it and would much rather be reading a book, playing the piano, or even cleaning out the garage. But she runs. Why? Because she lives with a disciplined maturity. She embraces what’s BEST for her and not what’s easy or simply desirable.
Contrast Wanda’s way of living with the Israelites in our psalm today. No matter what God did for them, it wasn’t enough. He got them out of Egypt and freed them from slavery. He led them through the Red Sea and destroyed their enemies behind them. He fed them with manna, water, and quail in the desert. But none of it was enough. They wanted MORE. They wanted BETTER. They wanted what they CRAVED.
Wow. Sit with that for a second or two. That last phrase, “demanding the foods they craved,” jumped out at me today. It is the PICTURE of childishness. Ever seen a child throw a fit in a store because someone had the audacity of not getting them some toy they spotted? Or have you ever put food on the table and had your kid or grandchild say, “I don’t want THAT!” Or maybe even on Christmas, a kid opens a package and instead of being grateful that they got ANYTHING, they act upset or hurt or mad because they didn’t get what THEY wanted.
Children are driven by their cravings. Sometimes, as adults, we do the same. Our cravings take us down paths we shouldn’t be on. They tell us to take the easy way rather than the best way. They draw us to what we want, not what we need. And it’s following our cravings that lead us away from God. It was at the heart of the Israelites’ rebellion, and it’s at the heart of ours still today.
Take a moment to do a bit of self-reflection. Are there things you’re doing that you know God doesn’t want you to do? Are there things in your life that you know you should be doing, but you’re not? Let’s stop being childish and stop being led by our cravings. Let’s work WITH God and not against Him. Some things, like running, may not be fun for all of us. But mature people know that doing what’s best, instead of following our cravings, is what makes us the people God wants us to be. And the people WE want to be. Follow Wanda’s model. Grow up. That’s God’s Word for you today.