Saturday, January 2, 2010

Daily Manna


One of my favorite stories in the Bible, is the story of Moses and the Israelites in the desert. In Exodus 16:2-3, we read: 2 in the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 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." In the midst of the Israelites “grumbling,” the Lord hears them! He decides to provide for them but also gives them very specific instructions! (Exodus 16:16-21) 16 this is what the LORD has commanded: 'each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer (about 2 quarts) for each person you have in your tent.' " 17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed. 19 Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning." 20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them. 21 Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.”

“Manna” is described in the Bible as (Exodus 16:31) “… white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.” However “Manna” means: “What is it?” I know that many of us are making “New Years Resolutions,” always in an effort to continually better ourselves- but “What is it,” that you need this year to FULFILL/truly better your life? Or maybe I should say: “Who is it,” that you need to FULFILL/truly better your life?

I believe that the reason God did not just flood the desert with manna was because He wanted the people to realize that we must DEPEND ON HIM DAILY! We are like the empty baskets, that the Israelites used to fill up with manna each morning; uniquely created, God is just waiting to fill us up!

God is not just a decorative fixture that we talk about on Christmas, or hang on the tree, but rather a daily dependency that all of us must have! Your time with God yesterday does not make up for your lack of time with Him today! Anyone who works out knows that it is a daily commitment! If you want results, daily you have to workout/eat right! In the midst of you making your “temple” better physically, consider how you will make it better spiritually.

So I would like to ask you this, “What does your spiritual workout/diet look like for 2010?” “Is it important for you to be fed by Him DAILY?”

I pray each of you will have a blessed 2010! Prepare your hearts as God begins to reveal the next chapter of your novel called-Life!

-Rendered Heart