What Is It...?

So I had a humbling experience this morning while reading the Bible.

So yesterday we had a situation happen with our finances that didn't exactly go according to plan. And when things don't go according to plan, my immediate tendency is to recalculate, replan, rebudget, do whatever I can to fix the problem...

Oh yeah, and WORRY!

So this morning I was doing my Bible reading in Exodus 16 where God first sends down manna for the Israelites in the wilderness. I'm going along, comparing translations, picking out words and phrases of interest, trying to figure out what these words mean, thinking about something cool I can put on my blog, when it hit me...

THESE WORDS ARE FOR ME!

I've been doing all of this Bible study lately, and I'd almost forgotten this time was supposed to be communion with God for my life!

So here is what stood out to me. (I'm going to share from the Message because it was surprisingly similar to the ESV in this text and worded in a way that most clearly communicates what God impressed on me.)

God said to Moses, “I’m going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day’s ration. I’m going to test them to see if they’ll live according to my Teaching or not." (Ex 16:4 MSG)

and

God said to Moses, “How long are you going to disobey my commands and not follow my instructions? Don’t you see that God has given you the Sabbath? So on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. So, each of you, stay home. Don’t leave home on the seventh day.” (Ex 16:39-29 MSG)

So often I've read this passage as the Israelites disobeying the Lord. But it hit me today that maybe the most important aspect was that God was teaching them to trust Him. The bread from heaven was to be not only provision but a lesson in trusting God not themselves or their reason or their ability to budget or anything else. And the Sabbath was not a rule to be followed, but a blessing to cherished. He simply used the bread to teach them that lesson. So...

...the people quit working on the seventh day. (Ex 16:30 MSG)

I am thankful to the Lord today that He reminded me that He is in control and I am not; that He wants to work good in my life...if I will obey His teachings. I pray that I will adhere to this lesson.

So how about you? What has God told you lately?