So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

As I mentioned previousy, when God feeds us, what He serves might not look like what we had expected. It might appear as being “new” to us and, consequently, cause us to pause and ask, “What is it?” That is exactly what happened when God caused bread to rain from heaven in order to feed Israel in the wilderness. Their first reaction was to ask, “What is it?,” or in Hebrew, מן הוא man hu, hence the term manna. Not only was it unknown to them but it was something their ancestors would not have recognized either. Their hunger, coupled with this “new” type of bread, was to provoke them to consider the value of God’s Word.

I think it’s also important to point out that, when the manna fell, the people had a limited time to gather it. As soon as the sun came out, it melted away meaning that they could not afford to wait until things were convenient for them — they had to move when God moved. Furthermore, they had to be willing to receive what God had given them. If they took issue with what He offered and when He offered it, the consequence was another day of hunger and all the unfortunate ramifications of an empty belly.

Hopefully the point being made is obvious: God doesn’t always give us what we want but always supplies what we need. When He does, we should spiritually sensitive enough to appreciate the benefit of what He provides, and furthermore, ready to move when He acts. We can’t afford to be as the five foolish virgins who were unprepared to respond when shouts of the Bridegroom’s arrival rang out. Neither should we be such hardened soil that we can’t receive the seed of the Word, thus allowing for the birds of the air to come and snatch it up before it has time to germinate. If we are to truly live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD, we must be ready to receive it even though it may not seem familiar to us. It just might be that He is stretching us and teaching us not to depend on our own understanding, but to believe Him for everything in every situation.

Blessings and Shalom,  

Bill 

Become a Premium Partner

or make a one time gift below.