It is amazing how quickly we can move from thanking God for his provision to complaining about his lack of it. Let’s admit it. We can be fickle and ungrateful at times. In the aftermath of their dramatic rescue we find the Israelites in the desert and what were the people doing? Grumbling and murmuring!

Exodus 16. In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?” Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”

And so, God provided a bread called Manna. Which was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made of honey. Every morning it was found around them. We read that the Israelites ate manna for forty years till they came to the land of Canaan.It is ironic that even though God has adopted us, forgiven us, given his numerous blessings, that we find ourselves feeling sorry for ourselves, and even murmuring in our hearts that God is not doing more in our lives. It is the daily struggle to live in faith rather than fear. 

What is even more amazing is that even though we grumble to God about our situation, He does not abandon us. In fact, He does what He always does and provides for our needs. He is faithful to us even when, in our humanity, we are not faithful in our appreciation to Him. 

We have a choice whenever we face difficult circumstances. We can blame God and become cynical of His goodness to us. Or, we can thank Him, trust Him, and allow Him to provide the Manna, the help that we need, because He does. And He delights in doing so. In fact, I suspect that God smiles as He provides what we need because that is who He is. He loves us with an undying love and watches over our lives always.

Father, I thank you that even when my humanity and frailty get the best of me that you still hear and you still provide. You are good even when I am ungrateful. Great is your faithfulness. Amen.

If you are reading through Exodus with me, read chapters 18 and 19.