The sky is falling!?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the Israelites… coming out of Egypt and how God continued to provide for them – even in the midst of their complaining.

Over and over, He showed His provision, patience and care for them.

As I read their story, I realize that I am so much like them. Complaining…
even in the midst of seeing God work!

I keep coming back to the story when God ‘rained’ manna…

In Exodus, it says it had been 2 1/2 months since they had been brought out of Egypt.

They were promised a new place, a new land…

But, their circumstances seemed to say otherwise.

Yet, over and over these circumstances became opportunities for the Lord to show His power and Glory.

On this particular day, however, the Israelites had forgotten, once again, what the Lord had brought them through.

They were complaining because they were hungry.

They were so hungry that they were wishing they were dead…
or at the very least back in Egypt as SLAVES.

Funny how our perspective can get so skewed when we are hungry or afraid.

God didn’t leave them in their dismay… in their ugly.

He provided just enough at just the right time in the least expected way.

God poured bread from the skies for each day.

{Makes me smile… who would have thought? Bread from the sky?}

Now, there were conditions –
They could only take enough of the bread for that day. If they took more and hid it to save it for later, it would rot.

Hmmm…
Where else have we seen conditions like this?

In the Garden of Eden – Adam and Eve were given everything in the garden.
They could eat from any tree they wanted.

Except one.

In Bible study a couple of weeks ago, someone mentioned how Satan is strategic.

He is strategic to try to distract us with the thing we can’t have.

The conditions.

Yet, what our Lord is giving is PLENTIFUL. It is just enough at just the right time.

I am so easily tempted and distracted by that ONE tree I cannot have…

by the conditions of His providence…

What I can’t have.
I want more than enough.
I want to know that there will be some for tomorrow… or the next day.
And it keeps me from seeing the miraculous work He is doing right in front of me.

I am so weak.

My heart truly wants to focus on what HE has done. His beautiful.
That I don’t deserve any of this.
That in His amazing Grace, He gives.
As Ann Voskamp says, “Everything is Grace.”

Going back to the bread from the sky…
They called it ‘manna’ which means – ‘What Is it?’

Isn’t this a beautiful picture of how our Lord works?

He provides in completely crazy and new ways.
He provides just enough… at just the right time.
He provides with things that we cannot understand (What is this?).

Today is a tough day.
I find myself feeling like I am drowning in my own fear of how my family will be taken care of.

I wonder…
Am I working enough?
If only I put more hours in….
but, then it effects homeschooling, meal planning, preparing meals.
{My Ugly}

A dear friend reminded me to watch for the manna today.
Every day it is NEW.
And, it can come from unexpected places.
Watch for it.
{His Beautiful}

So, I’m on a God watch… again.
What about you?

What unexpected place can you watch for manna today?

If we don’t share the ugly, we can’t share the beautiful.

~~
This post is a part of the 31 Day Challenge: My Ugly, His Beautiful. You can follow along here.

Care to join in on the writing challenge? The Nester is putting it on – you can learn more here.