A Faulty Default

Exodus 15:24

And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?

A default is a preselected option you revert to whenever you encounter something that is not normal. For instance, computers have defaults they revert to when you restart them. If you do a complete reboot of a computer, it defaults to the manufacturer settings of that computer when you purchased it. Your computer can be rendered useless if its default is faulty or tainted by a virus.

The children of Israel had a faulty default. Every time they encountered difficulties, they defaulted to murmuring. When they came to the bitter waters of Marah, they defaulted to murmuring. When they came to a desert place where there was no water, they defaulted to murmuring against Moses and God. Their faulty default caused them to want to go back to Egypt. These people forgot about the beatings and the rigorous labor that the Egyptians required of them.

However, Moses did not have a faulty default. Every time the Israelites murmured about their situation, Moses defaulted to prayer. When the people murmured against Moses when they came to Marah, he defaulted and cried to the LORD. When Israel came to the place where there was no water to drink, Moses defaulted and cried unto the LORD. Moses’ default could have been the same default for Israel, and if it was, they would have gotten an answer like Moses did had they kept a proper default in their lives.

Every person needs to have a good default they revert to in heartache and difficult times. Those who default to griping and complaining when they encounter difficult times only make these times worse. Let me share three actions your default should be when you face heartache and difficulties.

First, default to prayer in difficult times. One of the greatest things you can do when difficulties come is to immediately go to God in prayer and give Him your problems. Worrying and complaining about your difficulties will not help your difficulties to disappear. One thing I am promised from God’s Word is that prayer can give me the grace to endure hard times, or it can change the difficulty into an opportunity for great things to happen in my life. You will never see what the power of prayer can do in your life if you don't default to it when you face difficulties.

Second, default to faithfulness in difficult times. Don't run and hide in the difficult times, but default to faithfulness to serving God. When difficulties come, never consider quitting on God. I have always made it a default never to change my spiritual routines in life in difficult times. Faithfulness is one key God can use to walk you through the difficult times if you make it your default you revert to when hardships arise.

Third, default to soul winning in difficult times. I have made it my default to go soul winning at the initial onslaught of difficulties. I figure if Satan wants to hit me hard with difficulties, I will hit him harder by going soul winning. Nothing gives Satan a gut punch as hard as the believer going soul winning when he attacks them. Always make soul winning your default you revert to when heartbreaks and difficulties come for soul winning has a way of reminding you that others have it worse than you, and that you are still on the winning side.