Manna

My Bible reading plan recently had me read through Numbers. Not generally a book people get excited about but I seem to always be touched when I read through that book. I even took a class through PBU on Numbers and forgot just how much I enjoyed that class until I re-read the book.

As I was reading I was struck by the story in Numbers 11. The Israelites had grown tired of the manna that God was providing for them day in and day out. The manna was a clear sign of God's provision and yet they cried out to Moses declaring that they wanted something different to eat. They wanted meat! Moses then goes before God and laments being in charge of the Israelites and tells God of their desire for meat and God's response is pretty amazing. God tells Moses to tell the people to get ready because He would send them meat. So much meat that it would be coming out of their nostrils (11:18-20)!

As I was reading this and thinking just how foolish the Israelites were for not seeing that the manna was a clear sign of God's provision I began to realize that I have been lamenting God's manna in my own life and crying out for some meat. We are 84% funded for returning to Uganda. God has been faithfully building our team. Yet I am so eager to return to Uganda by May that I have become a bit unsatisfied with the manna God is providing because it doesn’t look like it will get me to Uganda in May. I want the meat, God!

My Bible plan had me stop reading at 11:23 after Moses questioned God's ability to provide so much meat for 600,000 men and God telling Moses to just wait and see. Something the Spirit told me to keep reading through the end of the chapter and so I did. God sent in quail from every corner of the camp and suddenly the Israelites had more meat at their disposal than they could ever dream of. In fact in 11:31 we are told the quail was 3 feet deep! They got their meat! But keep reading: In 11:33 we are told that after gathering all the quail, as they were chewing the meat God struck dead those who craved other foods.

As I sat there I very quickly confessed my cry for “meat” and thanked God for His manna that He is providing through His mercy. It doesn't look like we will be returning to Uganda by early May but the fact is that God is providing for us to return and we will return to Uganda. His manna is enough and I have new appreciation for His provision and the people God is using to send us back to Uganda. I will probably long for meat again someday, but will try to remember to come back to this story and thank God for His manna.

Is there something in your life that isn't quite what you want?  Are you hungering for more than He has already given?  We would love to pray for you!

-by Josh