“‘This is what the Lord has told you to do: “Every man gather as much of it as he can eat. Take a jar for every person that each of you has in his tent.”’
The people did so. Some gathered much and some less. When they saw how much they had, he who had gathered much had no more than what was needed. And he who had gathered less had enough. Every man gathered as much as he could eat. Moses said to them, ‘Let no one save any of it until morning.’ But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it until morning. And worms grew in it and it became bad to eat. So Moses was angry with them. Morning after morning they gathered it, every man as much as he could eat. But when the sun became hot, it would melt.” Exodus 16: 16-21
One of the interesting things about the manna was that God didn’t provide more than what was needed to supply the daily needs except on Friday because they needed to be prepared for the next day since they wouldn’t gather any on the Sabbath. Whenever people tried to depend upon their own attempts to maintain their resources it failed. God was training the people to have the faith that God would provide for tomorrow rather than depending on their own resources to protect them in the future.
Sometimes God will allow whatever we think will provide security to fail us in order to remind us that God is the only one we should trust to keep us secure, and the one who provided everything in the first place. We need to be reminded that just as God has provided for us God will maintain us, but too often once God provides for us we feel the need to depend completely on our own power to maintain our current state and care for the future and don’t trust God to be consistent in doing so for us. Is there could there be in in your life that God blessed you with that you are scared to trust God to continuing to care for?
Do you trust God to direct with your job? Do you fear that the same God that provided a source of income for you is unable to supply your needs if you are laid off or unable to find work? Do you trust that the God who blessed you with your family is able to provide for your emotional needs and take care of your loved ones or do you fear for their futures or fear life without them instead of trusting that God that gave you people to love can work it out for the best? The secret to overcoming fear is to remember the true source of all good things is God and trust God who gave before to continue to give you want you need.
Another thing we see from this lesson is that while they were to trust God to provide manna for them they had to gather the mamma themselves. God provided, but God didn’t collect the mamma for them. God’s provision in our lives doesn’t mean we won’t have to put in any effort. We must bear in mind that God’s plan for our lives requires our corporation by acting in obedience by submitting to the means of provision God puts in our lives and heading the Lord’s directions concerning how we must go about it. We need to both trust God to provide and obey God’s direction concern the means that God chooses to use to do so. Sometimes we lack because we aren’t willing to collect what God is providing and are waiting on something else.
Picture originally found here
