12 February | EVERYONE
“Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium. The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil. And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it." Numbers 11: 7-9
Why are sad things darker and duller when there is no bread? Israel roamed the sands of Shittim. They longed for the foods of Egypt. The freedom they now enjoyed had no taste, for there was no taste to try in that inhospitable land. Then the people murmured against Moses, and the leader, in turn, ran to God and asked Him what he should do.
Have you noticed that when we are surrounded by difficult circumstances, the first thing we do is ask God how to get out of them, instead of asking what lesson we could learn from them? Moses consulted with God, and then went to the people and said, “At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord” (Exodus 16:6-7).
The next day, "when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, ‘What is it?’ For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, ‘This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat’” (Exodus 16:14-15).
“The manna, falling from heaven for the sustenance of Israel, was a type of Him who came from God to give life to the world. Said Jesus, ‘I am that Bread of life’” (Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 297).
Often, while we are preoccupied with food and drink, God desires to show us His glory. His glory is His character. If we were like Him, the difficulties of this life would not frighten us. We would see beyond what our eyes see. We would be able to dream and walk by faith. Phillips Brooks admonished his listeners, saying, "Pray not for an easy life, pray for strength and power to overcome difficulties."
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Instead of succumbing to adversity, ask the Lord for wisdom to learn from it. You will receive from Him a daily "manna" of spiritual blessings.