God's Provision for You
How long with this last? How long will we be socially distanced from people? I have no idea. If it were a couple of days, this might come to us as small disruption of our lives and maybe even welcomed interruption. I loved snow days as a kid and still love them. It makes everyone slow down. But what we are experiencing right now is not that. We’re not hearing about days. We’re not hearing even necessarily weeks. We’re hearing months. How long will this last?
I read through the first 20 Chapters of Exodus today. I needed the encouragement of the Scriptures to help me. And I want to put before you some things that I gleaned from it, particularly looking at chapters 16 & 17.
1. We grumble and quarrel. This is true for us as people just in our normal condition. There is no shortage of things that we can complain about. But add stress to the mix and we are really going to be able to see the true condition of the human heart. Israel was faced with lack of water and food. And their response was to go to their leaders and grumble against them and to quarrel with them. At the moment, many of our fridges and pantries have a sufficient amount of food in them. But as the week goes on, the tensions of our hearts will rise. Supermarkets can easily become a place of conflict and concern. This can happen to us as families and households as we will be living in close quarters for extended periods of times. Those things that your loved one does that were slightly annoying will become amplified. Tensions will rise. Our hearts do not respond well…when left only to our own strength.
2. We don’t listen well. Governor Cuomo has expressed his frustration with people not taking this mandate for social distancing seriously, noticing a number of public areas that are still filled with people. He is not the first leader to experience this frustration. Moses told Israel to only gather enough manna for what they needed for the day. Some didn’t listen and gathered more. It rotted. The day before the Sabbath they were told to get enough for that day and the next because God would not give manna on the Sabbath. People still went out on the Sabbath to look for manna. We don’t listen well. We frustrate our leaders. “And Moses was angry with them” (Exodus 16:20). Even God said, “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws?” (Exodus 16:28). As this drags on, our already stubborn hearts will more easily become more calloused, angry, and unwilling to listen…when left only to our own strength.
3. Fortunately for us there is an alternative to our own strength. The Lord provides what we cannot provide for ourselves. His heart toward us is good and His hand is working for our benefit.
a. The Lord wants to give us rest. “See the LORD has given you the Sabbath…so the people rested on the seventh day” (Exodus 16:29-30). The Lord is a much greater resource for us than we could ever be for ourselves. He knows that, which is why He is determined to be our God, because we need Him to be that for us. Jesus reminds of this when He tells us not to worry and points us to the birds of the air who the Father feeds. We are more precious than birds to Him. So you and I can rest. We can rest our grumbling, quarreling, fearful hearts in Him.
b. The Lord works to win the battle for us. We may be on the front lines, but it is the Lord who does the fighting. This was true when Israel went against the Egyptians: “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Exodus 14:14). This was true when Israel went against the Amalekites: “whenever Moses held up His hand, Israel prevailed” (Exodus 17:11). This is true for us. Remember how the Scripture speak of Jesus, “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases” (Matthew 8:17). Whatever we face, Christ does it for us and through us. “The LORD is my Banner” (Exodus 17:15).
c. The Lord provides for our greatest needs. The people grumbled for food and they were given manna and quail by God. The people quarreled for water and they were given water through a rock. Our needs are greater than food and water. We need something that will cleanse our souls and give us hope and courage, true and everlasting life. This God has already done. When He washed you in the waters of baptism, He washed your sins away (Acts 2:38). When He gave you bread and the fruit of the vine at His table, He gave you the precious body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Christ is the water that cleanses and the food that nourishes your soul. Jesus is the bread of life. Jesus is the rock given for you.
Friends know this, the LORD He is God! The Lord didn’t redeem us (buy us back) to reject us, but to be our God. Look to Him, for we will not be put to shame not matter how long this lasts!