Week Two, Day Four

God's Word

The LORD said to Moses, "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.'"

Exodus 16:11-12 (for the whole story, read all of Exodus 16)

I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

Isaiah 43:20

If we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.

2 Timothy 2:13

Live It

Draw a picture of God. Go ahead. Get a piece of paper and a pencil and draw what God looks like.

Stumped? Yeah. I tried it, and I'm stumped too.

God can seem so impossible to understand. Sometimes He can feel so remote and removed. And, no matter how much we try to understand what He's like, we're still left without much explanation.

What's worse is that God's ways are tough to understand too. We know He loves us, but we don't always feel loved. We know He protects us, but we don't always see His angels. We know He provides for us, but we don't always see Him leaving food or money at our bedroom doors.

The Israelites faced this kind of uncertainty as they wandered the desert just after leaving Egypt. Remember the story? They'd spent over four hundred years trapped in Egypt and were looking for way out. So when Moses showed up to lead them, they had to be relieved. As they followed him out of Egypt and into the desert, many of them probably thought that Moses had a plan or that God would provide a huge meal for them every day.

But that wasn't what happened. And after a few days in the desert, the Israelites began to complain and argue against God. They were hungry. They felt lost. They were confused. All of that made them distrust Moses and feel that God forgotten them. If they had been able to draw a picture of God, it probably would have been one that represented God as a deranged leader who led His people into the desert just to watch them starve to death.

But when God began providing manna to eat, the Israelites changed their minds. With their bellies full of God's provision, their focus on God became clearer. They started to trust more.

Ever felt lost? Ever felt abandoned in the desert by God?

The Israelites did. So what was the result?

Well, for starters, they felt abandoned and lost. But when God provided for them in the middle of nowhere, their fear turned to trust. And feeling lost changed to feeling hope and security. They still doubted God at times, but they had the manna to remind them that he would provide.

What about us?

God provides. Even when we feel lost, abandoned, and forgotten. When we can't draw a picture of Him, He's got us in His sights. When we can't imagine where He is, He's right next to us, protecting and providing in ways we could never imagine.

______________________

Questions

AskYou Week 2, Day Four.