My Manna

The other night I felt like complaining. Things were just building up and I was feeling as though I have had ENOUGH!! In my heart I grumbled to the Lord. "I can't do this any more. I am soooo tired." It has felt as though there has not been much of a break in our circumstances...and, at that moment I found justification for my complaints. I told the Lord my feelings and asked Him to change our situation...

A moment of weakness, a moment of doubt, mixed with anger and fear...translated into a grumbling heart. There was no joy found in that place, only sadness, only unrest.

Then a thought quietly came to me...

"You are acting no different then the wondering, complaining Israelites; taking for granted the 'Manna' that God has provided for You."

"But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!" numbers 11:6

It is so easy to read that verse and think, "ah, how could they complain? God sent them bread from Heaven. What an amazing thing. How could they possibly take the blessing from God for granted?" But, isn't that exactly what I am doing in my own heart by complaining about my circumstances? I love how the Lord gave us all these examples in scripture to teach us, and to show us that our hearts are no different.

I am always trying to teach my children to be thankful; to not complain when food is set before them. To always express gratitude when something is given to them. I feel so rebuked to realize that I did the same thing before the Lord. I was feeling ungrateful for the many blessings He has given to us, for our own 'manna', and complaining about the things that I do not have.

He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. Deut. 8:3

What the Israelites didn't realize was that God allowed their circumstances to serve as an example to us. To reveal God's glory and power, and also to show that "food" (earthly things) are not so important. We cannot always see the big picture, it is easy to get discouraged and give into the temptation of feeling ungrateful...just like the Israelites. We need the Lord. He sustains us. He is the bread of life and will make us complete.

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." john 6:51

Jesus said many times in the Gospels that we are to come to Him with our burdens. We are to lay them down at His feet.

"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? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34

What can I possibly have to complain about? My Creator loves me and has given me the "bread of life". I will rest in that and let Him take care of everything else.

Thank you Father, for teaching me, for showing me my wrong heart attitude. Thank you for everything you have blessed us with. Help me to be content in you. Thank you for saving me and making me Yours. Thank you that I can have fullness of joy in Your presence. I love you Father. Thank you for this time that I can learn to lean on you.

"You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever." Psalm 16:11