I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.
Today, I am reading and commenting on Exodus 16-18.
I want us to think about this passage a bit and how we do similar things. The people of Israel left Elim, which was a rather pleasant place, but would not support their numbers for very long, especially not with their flocks. As they travelled in the desert, they complained about the lack of food. So, God provided them with manna. Now, let’s think about how this worked. Those who needed a lot because they had a lot of mouths to feed, found that they had enough. Those who needed less found that they only had what they needed. Those who put some aside for the next day found that it spoiled by the next day, but there was more to be gathered the next day…except on the sixth day, when there was two days’ worth and it did not spoil over night. Get that: five days a week there was enough manna for one days’ meals and if you tried to put some aside for the next day it spoiled. On the sixth day, there was two days worth of manna, and it did not spoil if you kept it for the next day. Finally, on the seventh day there was no manna to collect. This continued until they entered the Promised Land.
Despite receiving this daily and weekly reminder of God’s miraculous providence, when they came to a place without water they complained that they were going to die of thirst. They had complained that they were going to die of hunger, and God provided. They were still experiencing that provision in a way which should have reminded them daily, or at least weekly, of God’s great power. Yet, now they were complaining about the lack of water. How often do we do something similar? All too often, instead of recognizing how God has provided for our needs, we fail to have faith that He will do so again. We worry, fret, and complain. Let us strive to trust that God will provide for us, as He has done in the past (and is likely doing in other aspects while we are complaining about a new problem).