“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…
“In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?..’ And Moses said, ‘It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat… Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat,.. according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent…’ Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat… Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted…
“The people of Israel ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till they came to the border of the land of Canaan.” Exodus 16:4,13-16,18,21,35
“While the people of Israel were encamped at Gilgal, they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening on the plains of Jericho. And the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased the day after they ate of the produce of the land. And there was no longer manna for the people of Israel, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.” Joshua 5:10-12
From the start of their wilderness wandering, the Lord provided supernatural sustenance for His people. Day in, day out, He brought them just enough to satisfy and fuel their sojourn. Through daily manna He taught them daily dependence, holy expectation, and to be content with what He gave as sufficient.
God is constant and gracious to provide for His people in ways we see and cannot see. Because of His consistent faithfulness, we can become accustomed to His steadfast love and care and plenty. Lest we grow complacent, and neglect to seek or depend on Him, and feel we’re entitled to certain supply by our way and time and whim, He can switch His methods and means to remind us it is He, not ourselves, from whom all blessings flow.
Are we cruising on plenty, unaware that every good gift comes from God above? Have we slid into complaining about the bounty God gives? How adamant are we about wanting things our way, now? Have we become so used to ample that we think we have a right? Where has gratitude been eliminated and overtaken by grumbling? Would we trace His hand of creative provision today with humble thankfulness? (James 1:17)
“Praise to the Lord, over all things so wondrously reigning;
shelters thee under his wings, yea so gently sustaining!
Hast thou not seen all that is needful has been
sent by his gracious ordaining?” ~Joachim Neander (1680)
Lord, keep me ever grateful for Your good and bountiful gifts.
As the rain and snow 