By Shirley Rosemarie Evans
13 That evening vast numbers of quail flew in and covered the camp. And the next morning the area around the camp was wet with dew. 14 When the dew evaporated, a flaky substance as fine as frost blanketed the ground. 15 The Israelites were puzzled when they saw it. “What is it?” they asked each other. They had no idea what it was.
And Moses told them, “It is the food the Lord has given you to eat. 16 These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.”
17 So the people of Israel did as they were told. Some gathered a lot, some only a little. 18 But when they measured it out, everyone had just enough. Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough. Each family had just what it needed.
Exodus 16:13-18 NLT
The children of Israel complained against God because they were hungry, and they looked back to Egypt longingly remembering the pots of meat and as much bread as they could eat. The Lord heard their complaints and sent them quail in the evening and bread to eat in the morning. We are told of the bread that it was a flaky substance, later in verse thirty-one we are told it was like coriander seeds and tasted like honey. The children of Israel had never seen anything like it before and they asked Moses “What is It?” Moses told them “it is the food the Lord has given you.” This food became known as “manna” which literally means “what is it?”
God, who is Jehovah Jireh, provided bread from heaven in the wilderness. Wow! He is a faithful God who despite the complaints and the lack of faith of His people, He remained faithful and provided for their needs. What a loving and compassionate Father He is.
The truth is that the manner and source of God’s provision will often take us by surprise. The same God who can cause bread to fall out of the sky will provide for us in so many unexpected ways. Recently I entered a new chapter of my life. I had been a Foster Carer for 9 years and my young person arrived at the grand age of 18. However, she decided to stay with my family to complete her education etc. I was happy to have her stay but was concerned as I was losing my main source of income whilst still pursuing ministry goals. I told God about my concerns and prayerfully began looking at career options to replace income whilst still pursuing ministry goals. Just a few days after my child turned 18, a sister handed me an envelope containing £100. It was totally unexpected and came out of the blue. Though not a vast sum in terms of salary. For me, it wasn’t about the amount of money. But as I looked at the contents of the envelope, I felt God speak to my heart to remind me, “I will provide.” That’s just the kind of God we serve.
So often when the Lord blesses His people like the children of Israel, we fail to see His hand at work or recognise His blessing in that moment. It is only some way down the line as we reflect that we see God at work and own His blessings.
More than the physical needs of food we need to know that Christ is the living bread from Heaven. When we accept Him as Lord and Saviour, we take on new life. Rich and satisfying. Life now and we look forward to eternal life when our Saviour returns to earth. Oh, that all would taste and see that indeed our Lord is oh so good!
Ask – Why did the children of Israel not recognise God’s ability to take care of their needs?
Seek – Are you feasting on Christ as the Living Bread? Are you fully satisfied?
Knock– What need will you prayerfully commit to God today and trust in His provision?
(Inner Photo by cottonbro from Pexels)
(Upper Photo by Bruno Thethe from Pexels)
