God’s Gift of Manna

Manna…from heaven. God’s gift to the Israelites in the wilderness. He sent it to satisfy their hunger and remind them God would meet their needs – even when they wandered in the wilderness. And yet…

Manna was a gift from God himself.

It was a gift from God himself. So, who in their right mind would complain? That would be me!

Perhaps you would’ve been a great leader like Moses or a wise and faithful manager like Joshua. I’ve come to the realization that I would’ve been a real pain in the you-know-what to the leaders. (Check out all the skeletons in my closet!) I am certain I would’ve criticized Moses at every turn. But I also would’ve been nitpicking God.

I would’ve been annoyed at how inconvenient God’s rescue was. I’m sure my true feelings would’ve surfaced around the time we were on the other side of the Red Sea, away from the Egyptian army. Sure, I would be relieved to be safe. But I would also be weary, sleep-deprived, and emotionally exhausted. My feet would hurt, my back would ache, and I’m positive my kids would be driving me nuts. To make matters worse, I would be hangry.

Fortunately, God thought of that! He sent the perfect amount of manna and quail to rain down as nourishment for his hangry people. I’m sure that sustenance would keep me quiet for a while. Nevertheless, my satisfaction with the situation would’ve been short-lived.

I can almost hear myself: Manna? Seriously?

Day 1: Manna. Oh, I’m starving! Thank you! You think of everything.
Day 2: Manna. Ok. Thanks again, God. You rock.
Day 3: Manna. God, is there anything else on the menu? I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but…
Day 4: Manna. Let me guess what’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner today.
Day 5: Manna. If I see manna one more time…
Day 6: Manna. It seems like the one who gave Moses the stick that turned into the snake – could conjure up something more than manna and quail. Just sayin’.
Day 7: Manna? Really? I left the security of a full belly, and now I’m stuck in the wilderness for 40 YEARS and have to eat manna and quail EVERY DAY? Are you serious right now?”

I’m sure I wouldn’t have been the only one complaining, but I probably would’ve been the loudest. Nevertheless, God’s response? Manna. Exactly what the Israelites needed when they needed it…whether they liked it or not.

The Wilderness

My family has been going through a wilderness of sorts. Like the Israelites, we find ourselves safe, but in a desolate land, insecure, afraid, and questioning the journey. I wouldn’t say our wilderness is as bad as what the Israelites went through. And yet, it is bad enough for my husband to lose 20 lbs and for me to be away from home for weeks at a time. And it’s bad enough that I’ve been complaining about it.

It started in May when Alan unjustly lost his job. Shortly thereafter, my disabled mother, who lives in another state with my father, was diagnosed with dementia. Then my father became incapacitated due to mental illness and was later put in jail. Consequently, I left my job and spent the next 6 to 10 weeks dealing with attorneys, insurance specialists, doctors, police detectives, and parole officers, trying to help my parents. (Fortunately, I had my brothers to assist me.)

Yet God Provided Manna

And yet, as bad as those days and months were, and as much as I complained wondering if God saw me (I See You), God provided manna. For example, a few months after Alan lost his job, he was activated for full-time Army Reserves. Usually, being activated by the military is a scary thing since active duty has the potential to turn into an overseas deployment. He isn’t being deployed. Unfortunately, however, he is required to live on post a few hours away from us during the week. Now we only see him on weekends. Nonetheless, he has a job, we have insurance, the bills are paid…and we get to see him regularly. I call that manna.

We are also in the “sandwich years” when we still have a child at home, and our parents are aging. My parents, in particular, are in tough shape both physically and emotionally. I realize that God allowed me precious time and positive conversations with both parents while they were somewhat well. That’s manna. It’s not the steak and potatoes – the complete healing – I want for them. But it’s manna for me.

A few years back, we left our extended family to move to NC for the job Alan recently lost. Now he’s attached to Ft. Bragg, so we still can’t move back to our home. It’s lonely here. We don’t always feel like we fit in, and we miss being close to family. But Alan’s cousin, her husband, and their youngest daughter recently came to stay with us for a few months. It has been the perfect balance of friendship and family. I definitely see it as manna from God.

Today I sit before God and ask him why it has been such a tough twelve months. Then I remember the blessing of being able to approach God because of his gift of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I forget that simply being able to cry out to God is manna.

Abundant Provision

I now notice manna all around. Not because God just started providing it. On the contrary, God never stopped. He didn’t even stop when I was belligerent and demanding or feeling sorry for myself God provided. And he continues to provide faithfully. I simply have to stop complaining and pick up the gifts he continues to give. And a “thank you” would probably be in order, as well.

Thank you, God, for reminding me of your presence and provision. Thank you for not abandoning me because of my ungratefulness. Forgive me for forgetting how you brought my family out of slavery. Help me remember that though I might feel like I’m in the wilderness, I’m actually on my way to the promised land. Lead me and provide me with the strength and will to follow. Give me the words to glorify you. Amen.