God provides.
That statement is enough in itself, yet the Exodus story continues to illustrate it over and over. God is watching out for the needs of this people and provides what is needed. Freedom (even though it took 400 years to fall into slavery and finally liberated), dry ground (the escape plan between two walls of sea), a place (even though they abandon it generations before and then it took them another 40 years to get there), water (even in the wilderness God would provided good, sweet water, still they complained), bread (they called it manna, meaning "what is it?"), meat (in the form of quail that covered the ground), light (in the fire at night), guidance (the cloud during the day), and protection (when the cloud would shroud them from enemies).
God provided plenty. Yet it was never enough. It wasn't what they expected, or what they wanted. And they didn't even know what they really wanted or what they really needed. They simply aren't satisfied.
Maybe there's something we can learn from that. O I'm not saying that we should be satisfied with less, because what God gives is rarely "lesser." I'm thinking that we need to pay attention to what it is that God is giving and how it might give us greater satisfaction when we understand that it is from God and why it was given.
Our satisfaction comes not with just accepting the gift, but understanding the "why."
Freedom because of oppression, because of sin. A place because they were different and unwanted. Food and water because it's needed every day. Guidance because it was needed, because, because, because...
...God knows our needs...because...
...God loves us...because...
...God created us...because
...God wants to...and so
...provides for our needs...
...every time!
The Exodus story is God's first real introduction to humanity. He's everything we could ever want and yet humans find reason to want even more every day. Because we are selfish? Yes, for sure, but mainly because we aren't paying attention to the "why."
Because!
Peace ><>
pc
1 comment:
That was something I needed to hear this morning. Thank you for those words of encouragement!
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