Exodus 16:2-15

We see a picture of human nature in this 16th chapter of Exodus. These same people had struggled under the rule of the Egyptians for years, serving as the slave labor who built the pyramids and countless sturdy buildings. At last, God sent a leader to lead the people out of Egypt. Once outside its borders, the journey became more difficult. The people began to grumble about being in a lonely and barren land. Soon they started to talk about Egypt as if it were the promised land. Some wondered why they had left in the first place. Quickly, the people, who had given thanks to Moses and Aaron, turned against them and began demanding that God intervene. Moses took this concern to the Lord and was told that every day there would be enough food for everyone. God provided quail for meat and manna for bread for the rest of the journey. One might relate this to the later distribution of the Holy Communion, when the bread and wine were shared. Often the Christian, on his journey, becomes discouraged, and forgets what it was like to live without Christ. The lessons this week remind us of God’s generosity. God provides for us according to what we need rather than what we have earned.

It is easy to become discouraged, looking back at what we had rather than to the present and the possibilities of the future. Too often the world in which we live seems to drain us rather than fill us and strengthen our resolve. Most of us want quick responses or we don’t want any. How do you function when under pressure? Can you turn it over to God?