Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Bread and Whine


Did you ever read the Bible, and wonder “How could they do that?” Over the years I have wondered how the children of Israel could see the Red Sea parted, and the mighty miracles of Exodus, and still want to go back to Egypt. They complained about manna, wanting leeks, onions and meat. Then I started thinking... are we much different? Here is the passage from Exodus...


4Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

When the people were stuck between the Red Sea, and Pharoah's army, they started complaining that it would have been better for them to die in Egypt. When they were traveling through the desert, they longed for the food of Egypt. When God provided manna, they wanted meat. It seems they were ungrateful, unbelieving children. But are we any different?

When we get between a rock and a hard place, do we place our trust in God, or do we whine and complain? Do we remember the miracles God has done in our lives, how He has protected us and provided for us, or do we want to run back to our old way of doing things? Do we stand in peace and wait for God to show His salvation in our distress, or do we speak out doubt and unbelief? When God gives us manna, do we miss the leeks and onions?

Recently, I was guilty of this attitude in my own life. Scott has been out of work almost 6 months, so we are living on about half of his paycheck. I am really thankful for unemployment benefits, and God has met all our needs. There is food on the table, the bills are paid, and I really don't have anything to complain about, we have had our MANNA every day. But I found myself missing the carefree days of a good paycheck and not having to measure out my daily manna, missing the OLD DAYS. I vented a bit to Scott, as he was made a job offer several months ago, but STILL has no hiring date. Sometimes my emotions forget that God is in control, and the job will start in HIS timing, not mine. I don't need to look to the job for my finances, the security of health insurance, or meeting our needs. God is the one providing for us, enough manna for the day, and we trust Him with it one day at a time. I like to have the future planned, and know what's going on, and He's wanting us to take it step by step, journeying through this phase by following His cloud of smoke by day and pillar of fire by night.

It is so easy to let the circumstances of life creep in and shift our eyes off the Lord. It's easy to miss those subtle attitude changes in our heart, that if brought to light, are so similar to the complaints we condemn the Israelites for making in the desert. It's easy to point out unbelief or ungratefulness or fear or sin in someone else. But when we let the Lord examine OUR hearts, we find out what is really there, and we can let him root it out and replace it with HIS thoughts. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.... If our hearts are open to His word, His correction, His truth, we will be transformed daily by our daily Bread. God wants us to have Bread without the WHINE.... Journeying on with Jesus, Cheryl 3/14/12

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