One Day At A Time

Exodus 16:4  

"Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; 

and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may 

prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no" 

    One month after the Israelites left Egypt, their food ran out. Once again they complained and panicked. And once again, God reassured them and performed miracles on their behalf. The next day, the children of Israel woke up to find the ground covered in a pearly white substance that would become their food for the next 40 years. The people had never seen such a thing before and they ask, "What is it?"  "And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground, (Exodus 16:14). That’s how the heavenly bread becomes known as manna, Egyptian for "what is it?" 
    With this heavenly gift came a challenge. When the manna fell, the Israelites were only allowed to collect what they needed for their family for that day. Storing any leftovers was forbidden. They had to trust that there would be more the next day. In addition, on Fridays, a double portion of manna would fall. Each family was required to take a double portion. No manna would fall on the Sabbath because gathering it would be a desecration of Sabbath law. 

    The details of the manna teach us three very relevant lessons regarding our sustenance from God. They are lessons that help us cope with lean times and give us much needed perspective in abundant times. "What is it?" God always sustains us, but it’s not always in the ways that we would expect. Sometimes God provides for us in mysterious ways and we say, "What is this? That’s not what I was expecting!" But we have to be open to all of God’s gifts. 

    The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. While we would all like to have bank accounts swollen enough to last a lifetime, that’s not always how God wants it. He wants us to rely not on our money, but on Him. So God gives us what we need, but sometimes just one day at a time. 

    "Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none," (Exodus 16:26). The Sabbath reminds us that God is the ultimate Creator. We work and create for six days, but then we stop; we recognize that success doesn’t come from our work, but from God’s blessings.

Amen!!

Reading: (Ex. 16:13-26)
Ref: (What Does Manna Mean? Parshah Focus

Chabad.org)

May God Bless You

And Your Family

Minister R. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry