Sitting in bumper to bumper traffic on I-4 in a van with two boys under the age of six years old. A cringe tingled up my spine when my youngest son banged his head against the window. He wanted out of the car, now! Looking at the next road sign, I sighed as the realization hit hard. We were only half- way to our destination.
If I’m honest with myself, sometimes I feel trapped in my current circumstances too. Unbuckling the restraints and running free is such a strong desire, that I claw at the safety belt.
Wherever I feel trapped, I grumble.
Grumble about the other drivers. Grumble that businesses aren’t open for a bathroom break. Grumble that we’re hungry and our favorite restaurants are closed.
We may think we are grumbling against our circumstances, our boss, or our world. But the truth is we are grumbling against God.
Just today my adult son mentioned how hard this year has been for our family. Two family deaths and chronic illness has plagued my family every month so far this year.
We reminisced of past years when we were younger, healthier, and happier. Days when we caught large Snook on a kayak fishing trip. Days of laughter about trips to the park when we all played with silly antics.
But the Lord hasn’t brought us to these difficult circumstances in 2020 for us to look back too long. The Lord is with us in the present. All we have to do is seek Him.
Just like in Exodus 16:4 when the Lord rained down bread from heaven for the people.
The Lord has sent Jesus as the Bread of Life for us.
Each day we wake up, turn to the Lord, and gather strength from the Bread of Life for this one day- today. Not yesterday, and not tomorrow. But for today.
In the same way, the Lord tested the Israelites in the desert, he tests us too. Will we follow His instructions? Will we turn to the Bread of Life for our daily nourishment?
If you are in difficult circumstances, I encourage you to seek the Lord. The Lord can bring you out of the terrible ordeal.
But while you are still living in the hard-bitter parts, the Lord will be with you and will allow you to see Him.
The Lord hears our grumbling and reacts.
When the Israelites grumbled, Moses had the whole congregation come before the Lord. And when the whole congregation gathered, the LORD appeared to them in a cloud of glory (Exodus 16:10).
The Lord gave the Israelites what they requested. He feed them with meat and bread to eat. He desired for them to know that the LORD was their God.
Every evening quail came and every morning there was a layer of thin flakes on the desert ground like frost.
The Lord commanded them to gather as much as they needed to eat. But they were not allowed to keep any of it until the next day.
On the sixth day they could gather enough for that day and the next. Because the seventh day is to be a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. They could bake whatever they want on the sixth day, but on the seventh day no manna fell on the ground for people to gather. So no baking or boiling.
If you hadn’t collected twice as much the day before, what happened on the day when no manna fell?
The bible says that people still went out on the seventh day to gather but did not find anything.
I imagine the Lord is still saying to Moses, “How long will they refuse to keep My commandments and instructions?
The LORD has tried to teach us that the Sabbath is a gift to us; that is why on the sixth day He reminds us to collect bread for two days. One the seventh day, everyone must stay where he is; no one may leave his place.”
In the bible, the people rested on the seventh day. But will we?
Will we prepare enough food on the sixth day and then rest on the Sabbath?
A Call to Action
I challenge you to wake up every day this upcoming week and gather the Bread of Life early in the morning before the heat of the day pounds down upon us.
Then on the sixth day gather twice as much, so that on the Sabbath…you will be able to rest.
Rest is a gift from God. And possibly helps with grumbling…
Scripture
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”
“Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.”
Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst. (John 6: 32 – 35)
Free Online Bible Study
Join the online bible study this week. We are just now reading chapter 5 in Jill Briscoe’s book, Here I am Lord, Send someone else!
All you need to do is download the book for free on Hoopla if you have a public library card. Or you can purchase the book via my affiliate link:
Here I am Lord Send Someone Else
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Briscoe, Jill. Here I am Lord Send Someone Else
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