Until The Manna Falls

Good Thursday morning! I'm having trouble typing right today. The fingers refuse to go in the proper order or to the proper keys. Oh well, a few do-overs won't stop the devotional. I will trust in the Lord until the manna falls. Actually, that is a pretty good saying to meditate on for the day. What 'manna' are you looking for? Do you need help with the finances of your life? A person you have not seen for many years? A project in the doldrums and you need some wind in your sails? What makes us think these days that God has fallen out of the manna business? Admit it, we do. We expect to have jobs with enough pay to cover all that we want to buy. We expect to have a doctor available at all times with the correct answers to all of our ills and pains. We expect science or government to solve the world's problems. We have been trained to look to our own abilities by the world.

Part of the problem is that the world has provided some evidence of its own ability in this area. We don't worry about many diseases in many parts of the world that in former days took many lives. We don't greet the coming of spring wondering which king is going to feel like conquering our village. Doctors do have some answers for some pains and ills. Even at the height of the Great Recession, most people still had their jobs. Farmers in many countries raise more food than the nation can eat. So, does all of this mean that God is out of the manna business? No more miracle healing, no more stopping the invader in the night with news from home, or literally, no more manna in the wilderness? I don't think so. However, if we look to idols, God will not act save to punish our nation.

This comes up because tonight we will be discussing idols in our life group lesson. What idols might we have in today's world? Medical science, agriculture, knowledge, money... any and all are possibilities, but not necessarily idols to us. The Israelites received manna in the wilderness because they could not stop to plant crops, had no water except where God provided, and well, it wasn't called the wilderness for nothing. When the people of Abraham finally began populating the promised land, they planted vineyards and fields, moved their sheeps and goatses out to pastures and did their work. God provided manna in the wilderness and provided the strength and time to do agriculture in the promised land. Even today, a famine could come and much of the world could become wilderness. God has not changed, we might be eating manna next year. To remind His people of God's own provision, the Israelites did not plant any crops every 7th year. No planting, no harvest, the land rested and the people probably wondered how hungry they would get. No farming for a year; can you imagine the panic in the world if just one major food provider, say the United States, announced that no crops would be planted this year. We would let the land rest and trust in God. Oh dear...

Think about trusting in God to provide for all of your needs while taking a year off from work. How much do you trust in our Lord? No work, no paycheck, no medical insurance, no stocking up the pantry ahead of time either, just the opportunity to trust in God. Do you tremble at the thought? I'll admit that I do. My trust is not perfect yet, that's for sure. I look at the circumstance first instead of the wonderful power of God as I should. Guide me dear Lord Jesus to have a perfect and faithful trust in your provision.

Bucky