February 14 – Exodus 16-18

Today’s reading comes from Exodus 16-18. Before reading I invite you to pray and asked God to speak to you as you read his word.

Do the Israelites frustrate you? They have experienced or been protected from the ten plagues … water turned to blood, frogs coming out of the river, dust turned to gnats, swarms of flies, death of livestock, boils all over the skin, hail raining down, locust devouring the earth, complete and total darkness, and the death of the first born which God protected them with in the Passover. After leaving Egypt God has erected a pillar of fire by day and a cloud of smoke at night to protect and lead with. He leads them safely through the Red Sea on dry ground while swallowing up the pursuing Egyptian army. Today we learn he provides manna  to supply their dietary needs, and he has Moses call water from a rock.

But after all that the Israelites frustrate me. They have witnessed and experienced God like I never have. They have seen his power and might. They have seen him laugh at the Egyptians gods. They have seen him deliver their basic needs, water and food. Yet they still grumble against him and doubt his sovereignty … “In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.” (Exodus 16:2-3 NIV84) Now granted this is before the quail arrives on the scene and they grumble in a similar way before water comes from the rock, but come on people, you have witnessed God in a way I never will and you have doubt?

Do you doubt God? Are you like the Israelites? Have you seen God work in your life but when you get in tight situations you worry about how YOU are going to overcome, how YOU are going to make things work, instead of trusting in God to bring you through, to provide the resources you need, and to give you the will and guidance you need? Let’s learn a lesson from the Israelites and do all we can to trust in God and allow him to work. He is capable for far greater things then we can ever imagine.

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