A prayer of the afflicted when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD...

This is the heading for this morning's first Psalm - Psalm CII (or One Hundred and Two). Obviously, then, while murmuring is ill advised, complaining is actually Scriptural! Not that all the Psalms start this way, of course, Psalm CIII (or One Hundred and Three), starts with, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me; bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits..." Therefore, though we are allowed to complain, we should not always be doing it (then it would become murmuring).

On the other hand, though we ought to be of good cheer, in spite of the tribulations we shall have; we should, in my opinion, also keep in mind that we might have to do a little complaining to God every once in a while. Did not even Jesus, every once in a while, sigh, or exclaim, "How long...!" All in the right proportions, we can walk even as he walked, and find that, in Christ, God is well pleased with us. "Lord, teach us to pray, and give us the Holy Spirit, whom - we know - we sorely need to that end, in Jesus' name, amen."