Long ago in a faraway time, traveling in the sixties, was different for me and family.  No, we didn’t travel by stagecoach, but a cramped compact car, loaded to the max with clothes to wear and food to eat from the old Coleman ice chest.  Mom carefully planned and rationed out each day’s food as an allotment to us so that we would not go hungry on the trip.  Traveling west from Oklahoma through Texas panhandle, New Mexico mountains, enduring the heat of the Arizona desert we finally made it to our destination—California!  This journey tested mom’s abilities to provide—but she did it!  Eating out was not only too expensive for the budget our parents laid out; but restaurants were not that plentiful.  We were blessed to find enough opened gas stations along the way so we could relieve ourselves and get enough fuel for the next part of the journey. I remember my mom and dad never failed to give God thanks for each meal and for providing “traveling mercies” at each stop.  It is important to realize who provides and to whom we give all our praise!

The Israelites didn’t get out that much for they had spent over 400 years in slavery, at the mercy of Egyptian slave drivers who told them what to think and how to work. They barely survived each day with these horrible working conditions.  Their work never satisfied their “bosses” who demanded more and more of them.  God heard their cries and saw their need and brought them out from slavery to freedom. But now, there are different needs like finding water to drink on their desert journey.  But instead of asking God, they grumbled sarcastically first— (like teenagers on a long trip to California!)  How do I know? I was one.  Sometimes, I still grumble when perplexed, which hinders my praise.

After God’s provision of water; now God’s Chosen and set free are hungry.  After traveling for over a month, the food supply for hundreds of people has run dry.  But instead of asking God, they grumble first to their leaders, bypassing God altogether.  (We don’t do that, do we?)  Mm, let’s be honest. We grumble as if God is deaf and blind to our hearts.  How silly and sinful we are to think that God, Our Father cannot hear us, see us, and know exactly what we need when we need it!  How utterly sinful is to think God will not provide as He guides us through the desert places of our lives until we arrive where God wants us to be.  Sigh.

Exodus 16

Manna and Quail

The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt. ² In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. ³ The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days.”

⁶ So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, ⁷ and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” ⁸ Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

⁹ Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’”

¹⁰ While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the glory of the Lord appearing in the cloud.

¹¹ The Lord said to Moses, ¹² “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”

¹³ That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. ¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. ¹⁵ When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.’”

¹⁷ The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. ¹⁸ And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

¹⁹ Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”

²⁰ However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

²¹ Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. ²² On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much—two omers for each person—and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. ²³ He said to them, “This is what the Lord commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbath to the Lord. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’”

²⁴ So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. ²⁵ “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the Lord. You will not find any of it on the ground today. ²⁶ Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will not be any.”

²⁷ Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. ²⁸ Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to keep my commands and my instructions? ²⁹ Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

³¹ The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. ³² Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’”

³³ So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come.”

³⁴ As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved. ³⁵ The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

³⁶ (An omer is one-tenth of an ephah.)

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Moses wrote down all these adventures with God on the journey through the desert.  He could have left out the embarrassing grumbling parts, but inspired by God, he did not.  We needed to see for ourselves where grumbling leads us—nowhere.  We, too, just go around in circles until we realize the depth of God’s unfailing love, mercy, and grace.  We will not “arrive” at the promised land of abundant living until pure, holy, relentless faith in God’s provision is depended on with praises and thanksgiving!  Being a slow learner in God’s ways; I had to go through a lot of desert experiences to arrive at this truth.  God is Jehovah Jireh—The Lord who Provides.  Do not question the Lord God who provides daily exactly what we need.

This chapter is my testimony of God’s daily provision. The reason these “writings” of what God places on my heart each day upon reading and studying His Word are called “Daily Manna.” 

• God is the first one I talk with each morning before beginning the tasks for the day. 
• He is the one I turn to first to ask questions about the things of life I don’t understand.
• He is the One I run to for help for family and friends who are struggling and in need of Him.  
• He is the One I confess to with all that is on my heart.  Confession daily is part of our conversation because Jesus provided the forgiveness I need most. 
• God is my confidence that I am redeemed and I need to be reminded of that truth daily.
• I listen to God speak to my whole being through His Word and the whispers of His Holy Spirit’s voice to my soul. 
• I have learned that God is the Provider for all I need each day.  I cannot store it up, even for another day or week.  I must come to him daily, I want to come because HE is Life to me! 
• He generously provides for that day for tomorrow is another day.  Tomorrow He will provide for that day…and the next…and the next.  That’s how God works in us and through us.  He knows.  He sees. He gives enough for what each day will bring. We need Him and He loves to be with us. This is abundant living!
• Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

These are just some of the ways to respond with more praise and less grumbling!  The real list is endless!

It’s more fun and enjoyable to praise than to grumble.  Grumbling is physically taxing and tiring.  Praising and thanking reboots our minds, lifts our spirits and reshapes our hearts, our outlook and attitudes.  Yes, I choose joyful praise!  Hallelujahs to God are a lot more refreshing and fun!  When we look for God’s blessings as treasures along our journey; we will begin to see all that God truly provides for us!  Every single day.

Lord,

All I have needed; your hands have provided. Great is Your faithfulness, Lord unto me.

In Jesus Name, for Your glory, Amen