Hurrah! The Israelites have escaped Egypt! The armies of Pharaoh with their chariots and horsemen have perished in the Red Sea, even as the Israelites walked through on dry land. God is leading them on the way by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
Moses and the sons of Israel sang to the Lord. “The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will extol Him.” (Exodus 15.)
But wait! Only days later “the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. . . .Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
So the Lord was merciful and provided manna, “like coriander seed, white; and its taste was like wafers with honey. . . .And the sons of Israel ate the manna forty years.”
Just a short while later there was no water and the people quarreled with Moses over water, citing water in Egypt. So God told Moses to strike the rock and water came out so the people could drink.
That’s quite a cycle, isn’t it? God meets their needs, the people complain. God meets their needs, the people complain. It’s on automatic repeat.
So what does that have to do with me? Romans 15:4 says “whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” You see, I get caught in that same cycle and so do you. We are sailing along trusting God to meet our needs, then there’s a big bill for a dental procedure. How are you going to pay it? We have a severe cold snap like the one we just had. The heating bill grows as the temperature drops. We have a new medicine prescribed that costs over $100. We notice that our child has outgrown his shoes and, of course, he’s the one that needs the special shoes that cost more. Groceries cost more. You fill in the blank. Suddenly it’s hard to trust God to meet our needs. We gripe, complain, worry.
In the sermon on the mount Jesus repeats the lesson, but in terms that cannot be misunderstood. “Do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body than clothing? …for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care for itself.” (Matthew 6)
Are you worried about tomorrow? Maybe you’re worried about today. Family? Finances? Retirement? Your heavenly Father knows and He cares. He loves you. Don’t get caught in the same cycle that the Israelites were caught in. Your Father cares for you and He will supply all your needs, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 4:19)
~~ Faith Himes Lamb
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