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. Exodus 16: 34, 35, NIV.
Merciful God, today we come before You with grateful hearts. Please bless us as we study Your Word. In the precious name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
God provides! My grandmother had a saying, which, no doubt, I have shared before in a devotional; that is, “God never sends birds without berries.” I believe that. God, as the Parent par excellence, does provide for all of His creatures. Before He made Adam and Eve He created a beautiful garden, full of everything they needed to make them comfortable and contented. Providing for the needs of those who depend on us is the responsibility of a good parent, or guardian; how much more, of our Heavenly Father.
The children of Israel left Egypt after four hundred years of slavery. They did not know how to provide for themselves. They did not have to, before. Their masters took care of their needs in exchange for their labor. So they murmured when they became thirsty and there was no drinking water available (Exodus 15: 23, 24; 17: 1-3). They murmured when they were hungry and could find no food to eat in the desert. They murmured when they remembered how they “sat by the flesh pots and ate bread [until they were] full” (16: 3).
It was under these circumstances that the LORD sent them manna from heaven. He also gave them instructions on how, and when, to gather it (16-24). But they soon grew tired of it also, and murmured, “The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, ” ‘ “If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna” ‘ ” (Numbers 11: 4-6)!
Murmuring will keep us from developing an attitude of gratitude. Or a spirit of thankfulness will keep us from murmuring! We can decide which we would rather do. God has given us freedom of choice. All of life is built upon the choices we make. Each person must decide how he or she will live his or her life. A spirit of thankfulness is very energizing and liberating. A spirit of murmuring saps our energy, and deprives us of hope. It keeps us captive, by not allowing us to see beyond our needs, real or imaginary. If we dwell on what we do not have, such an attitude will keep us from appreciating what we do have.
Our Scripture for today informs us that God provided Israel with “manna . . . until they reached the border of Canaan.” Throughout their journey they never had need of anything! Their murmuring was really about their wants, because God took the journey with them, and provided for all their needs! What He did for Israel of old He will also do for you and me. All the way from earth to heaven, He will take care of His own. Proof of that is found in the following Scripture: “And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year” (Joshua 5: 12, emphasis provided).
Giving thanks to God, and sharing with family members, friends, and those in our community of faith, what great things God has done for us, is a very effective way of maintaining a spirit of thankfulness. Using the time of family worship, prayer meeting, and the welcoming of the Sabbath, to share our testimony, is also a wonderful way to count our blessings! It serves to strengthen us spiritually! The Word of God informs us that, “They overcame him [the adversary] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12: 11).