Devotional by Karen Rees
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” Matthew 6:25
Imagine that your stomach is full, it’s bedtime, and you’ve just eaten the last of your food. Not a single crumb is left. There are no grocery stores. You have no fruit trees, no garden vegetables, no fields of corn. There is only desolate wilderness. How well will you sleep?
The Israelites were in this situation, one they’d never before experienced. God had brought them out of Egypt, with its choice meats and tasty leeks and onions, to the barren wilderness and said, “Go to sleep. I’ll provide food in the morning.”
The first night many probably slept restlessly, afraid that the promised manna wouldn’t appear. But when the pearly dawn arrived, there it was. God had kept his promise.
He continued this for forty years. Six nights out of every seven the Israelites went to bed with full stomachs, empty food sacks, and the promise of manna in the morning. God purposely did this to keep the Israelites acutely aware of their dependence on him and of his faithful provision.
Same God, Same Lessons.
God wants us to learn the same lessons.
One way we do so is through lack of wealth. In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus didn’t tell us to ask for big bank accounts. He told us to ask for “daily bread”.
When our funds are limited, we have to rely on God. And as we rely on him, we receive numerous blessings that money can’t buy. Jesus knew that wealthy people too often focus on their riches and forgot God. (Luke 12:13-21) Have we ever asked God to give us a smaller house and less expensive car than our neighbors?
Another way we learn is through trials. For forty years, God used hardship to mold a group of complaining Israelite slaves into a faithful, obedient nation ready to march triumphantly into the Promised Land. Those that failed to learn left their bones in the wilderness.
Whether we want them or not, life brings trials: job and family problems, financial needs, illness, personal heartaches. Right now, we’re dealing with a pandemic, something we’ve never before experienced. Covid-19 is affecting every aspect of our lives and will no doubt leave a long term impact on the whole world.
The Choice is Ours.
When we face trials, we get to chose how we’ll respond. Will we learn valuable lessons as we go through them? Or will our suffering be wasted and our bones be left in the wilderness? Whatever our problems – before, during, or after the pandemic – they are opportunities to learn to trust God. As he provides comfort, brings a last-minute solution, or gives us the strength to struggle on, our faith will grow.
If we choose to follow him, he will be with us in our wilderness. Our stomachs will be full, our food will be gone, and we’ll have the promise of manna in the morning. We’ll learn to sleep well.
Thanks so much for this; I needed this today.
God bless.