SHARON ROCKWELL | CONTRIBUTOR

I once had a Bible study leader whose husband waited desperately for a kidney transplant. This woman was raising three middle-school children. A neighbor recognized the family’s need for food and early each morning delivered a loaf of freshly baked bread. One day she came to the door and my study leader asked her son to answer it. The neighbor presented the bread, the son thanked her for it, and then yelled upstairs to his mother saying, “Mom, our daily bread is here!” Our leader told us all this was an “ah-ha” moment for her. She had realized that this was more than a neighbor’s kindness. The Lord had provided. She never ran out of bread to make toast in the morning, or lunches to take to school. She understood that this was her manna, and evidence that she could trust the Lord daily for provisions. She vowed that she would face the long road to her husband’s transplant and recovery, by trusting in the Lord for daily provisions. There would also be no more complaining, as had been her habit.

A Grumbling Problem

The book of Exodus records the Israelites’ long journey through the desert wilderness to the promised land. They too had a habit of complaining. Even after a series of miracles rescued them from the Egyptians; supernatural plagues, protection of their firstborn from the angel of death, and the parting of the Red Sea which engulfed Pharoah and his army, three days into their journey they complained there was no water to drink. They had a grumbling problem. But God provided yet another miracle. He told Moses to throw a branch into the water, which miraculously makes it clean. It was a test from God where He revealed himself as their merciful healer.

“If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer” (Ex. 15:26).

About a month later came another complaint, this time for food. God responded by sending manna every morning, along with rules about how the manna was to be gathered, how long it could be kept, and how it could be stored for the Sabbath.

“Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not” (Ex. 16:4).

The Israelites’ complaining problem was really a faith problem. While they were hungry, they accused Moses, and by inference, God, of bringing them to the wilderness to kill their entire group. They lacked all faith that the God who had performed miracles to rescue them from slavery, did not care enough to feed them. Their faithlessness led to more grumbling, once again for water.

The Bread of Life

God revealed the Israelites’ real problem through these tests. Their sickness was the same illness for which we need healing today, and that my study leader discovered with the daily provision of bread. Our faith is weak and our trust waivers. God allowed the Israelites to walk in the desert to the promised land, testing them by giving provisions one day at a time. He fed them daily manna for 40 long years.

Our physical needs can lead us to recognize our spiritual needs. During His earthly ministry, Jesus told the crowds to come to Him for spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, Moses didn’t give you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.’ Then they said, ‘Sir, give us this bread always.’ ‘I am the bread of life,’ Jesus told them. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry, and no one who believes in me will ever be thirsty again’” (John 6:32-35).

One day all the rebellious children of God will enter the greater promised land by the grace of God and the blood of His son, Jesus Christ.

Lord, help us to remember with grateful hearts that all daily provisions come from You. When we grumble about physical hunger and thirst, and all other problems in life, we grumble against You, who has been faithful to be our provider, healer, and sustainer. Thank you that Jesus is our manna who promises eternal life to those who believe in Him.

Photo by Debbie Widjaja on Unsplash