"We wish the Lord had killed us in Egypt. When we lived there, we could at least sit down and eat all the bread and meat we wanted. But you have brought us out here into this desert, where we are going to starve" (Exodus 16:3 CEV).

Sounds like it could have happened in your school or congregation, doesn’t it? Today’s text above is just one of many verses that describe God’s people and their interaction with their leaders, in this case, Moses—and God Himself.

About this time every year, your classroom natives get restless, to say nothing of their parents and your governing board. For that matter, the cumulative effects of working with and for God’s people hits hard too. So much to complain about, so little time to do it! (Comprehensive complaining, that is.) And to top it off, this week includes epidemic proportions of LSWT&F Syndrome—Lutheran Schools Week Tension and Fatigue for teachers in Lutheran schools. (Bless you for your hard work!)

So, how is your day?

Your work invites criticism, even when you do it well. Whether it’s colleagues, kids, or families, you are bound to fall short, and you are equally bound to hear about it. Oh, we’re not talking about legitimate constructive criticism here. We’re talking sin’s hissin’ and dissin’. We’re talking about ugly moods, lapses into thoughtlessness, hypervision to all the mistakes others make, and opposite opinions closing on each other at hostile warp speed. Yes, sin has a cold place in its stony heart for this time of year.

Since the season of adversarial moods seems to broaden each year, you need to acclimate before you lose your sanity. This is life in the big ministry! Moses faced it, so why shouldn’t you? Isaiah wrestled with it, so why shouldn’t you? Jesus Himself fought it, so why shouldn’t you?

But you didn’t anticipate blunt and disquieting dialog at devotional time, did you?

The truth really does hurt. You are a sinner serving sinners. And, with some facilitating from Satan, in hopes of separating sinners from their Savior, sinners sometimes slash, snarl, and stab.

Bear up, co-workers and colleagues. While sin darkens your life, it is powerless to hide you from your loving God. He has already judged you, and for the sake of the Savior, He has redeemed you. And in addition to today’s words from Exodus (and real life!), we also have Romans 8:38–39:

"I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love—not life or death, not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!" (Romans 8:38-39 CEV).