What is this? Where did it come from?
When have you had a situation when you asked, “what is that” and “where did it come from?”
Something happens. Something good. Something different or unexpected (according to us).
We face a universal quest to adjust to the now and the not yet. What do you need most today? What do you hope for tomorrow? Envision multiple solutions, even if your options seem out of the box. How open are you to ideas beyond your original thought?
Moses’s troops questioned what and how during their time in the wilderness. Hunger pangs hit and Moses’ people were ready to bury him in the desert sand. They whined. They missed their bread and meat (Exodus 16). The Israelites were relieved to be released from captivity in Egypt, but they missed their meals and routine, even though their familiarity didn’t healthily support them.
The “Miserablites” had gotten used to customary food in Egypt. They were initially grateful when Moses delivered them from Egypt but now their stomachs growled as loudly as they did. Despite their ingratitude, God fulfilled His promise to provide them daily bread. He delivered manna from the sky. From Exodus 16, I picture those missionary pilots who drop relief supplies from their planes.
The Israelites went to bed on empty stomachs one night and woke to a desert floor covered with frosted flakes. Nobody knew what manna was because they hadn’t seen it yet. This was a first-time event and thankfully Moses, through Spirit, knew what food God delivered in His overnight express. In addition to bread, God hailed quail, so they had meat. I sometimes wonder if anyone suffered injury after this rush of birds dropped from the sky.
Life is rich with unexpected abundance. We want. We watch. We wait. It’s a perpetual cadence as we march out our mission. We have countless examples from our blue sky and desert floor experiences.
We want, or think we want, one thing. We watch for our projected resolution. We wait. And wait. And wait. Just when we’re sure we’ll be buried alive, God shatters our ceiling and grabs us from the floor. He leads us out of our personal Egypt. He parts the sea, beyond what we see.
What’s this? Where did it come from?
God is limitless. Creation will provide. Universe will sustain. Spirit flows. No ceilings. No floors. Heaven, open wide your doors!
Lord, give us this day our daily bread. Help me be open to receive frosted flakes and quail if those are your menu options. Thank you for your provisions. Thank you for your revisions.
Filled with the bread of life,
Christina
“When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat” (Ex. 16:14-15 NIV).