In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink in abundance like the depths. He also brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. (Psalm 78:14-16)
God’s miraculous works did not end with the splitting of the sea. After He delivered Israel from Pharaoh, He carefully guided them through an uncharted wilderness “by the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night” (Exodus 13:22). In so doing, He gave them shelter from the scorching sun, and at night, warmth and light to comfort them. When they were thirsty, He gave them water, miraculously and in abundance. The rock that issued water did not flow in drips and drabs but gushed and flowed like a river. In short, God was good to them; He made sure they had everything they needed — but they weren’t always so appreciative.
The old saying goes, “No good deed goes unpunished” which I interpret to mean that even when someone tries to do something kind or helpful, they may face negative backlash from the very people they are trying to help. In some cases, the more one does for those in need, the more they demand from you, and if you don’t meet their expectations, they will accuse and criticize. It seems to me that this is exactly how Israel responded to God’s goodness. In fact the following verses say that, in spite of this provision, the people “sinned even more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness” (Psalm 78:17).
It is written that our Heavenly Father knows what we have need of in temporal means and, consequently, we aren’t to worry as others do (Matthew 6:32). Because He is good, He will always supply our daily bread. Of course, sometimes that means He will give us what we need when we need it; sometimes He will supply the need before we realize we need it. And yes, sometimes He will give to us in great abundance. But we should realize that there is no guarantee that He will give us what we want when we want it, because our wants are based largely on selfish desires. And so if He doesn’t meet our expectations, how will we react?
We live in a society that is blessed beyond measure, and yet, the more we have the more we want — and demand. This is the issue that continued to undermine Israel’s spiritual maturity as they journeyed through the wilderness and why most of them never entered Canaan. Therefore, let’s not be like those who are ungrateful and self-absorbed. Let’s learn to be content with our daily bread and grateful for any and all blessings He bestows upon us. After all, the greater goal is to be enriched with spiritual growth that we might produce good and abundant fruit.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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