This is what it is

Alright. I'm guilty. I said I was going to bed, and I am awake. At the very least I can say I'm sitting on my bed. That's gotta count for something.

So... I was going to go to bed after I read my Bible, but I just felt flooded with some stuff I just read. My plan was three chapters, because that's what's on the reading plan I sometimes follow when I feel like I can be receptive enough. However, I stopped after reading only one. I had enough to chew on. So i'm gonna chew some more and write about it.

I just read chapter 16 in Exodus. I know I just blogged about Exodus last week too. Like I said, I don't always follow my reading plan everyday... it really depends on what I feel like I need to read, or if I even have the right mind for reading what's on the plate for a certain day.

So in chapter 16, God gives the Israelites manna from heaven to eat in the morning, and quail at night . I love verse 15 when the Israelites first saw the manna...

"When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was."

They went to Moses and asked him for an explanation, to which he replied that it was bread that the Lord had given them to eat. He then given further instructions to "take an omer for each person to eat," which was around 4 quarts. I have to say, I was kind of stilled as I read these words... I've read these words before, but like I said before... God just keeps opening my eyes to things I never noticed before about the same passages i've read and heard too many times to remember.

Verse 18 says, "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."

God also gave the people very specific instructions. They were not to keep the manna until the next morning. But they didn't always listen and obey. Like verse 20 says...

"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."

However, God told Moses that the people were to gather twice as much Manna on the 6th day, in order that they may rest on the 7th day, the day of rest. Like verse 24...

"So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it."

And man oh man are we stupid... verse 27...

"Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none."

Poor kids...

Anyway, the parallels I kept seeing God show me through these verses made me very still, and also made me feel like a child being slapped with a foam noodle in a pool.

I mentioned a few days ago how I've just noticed how God has sort of taken me by surprise with a few things. Yes, I'm being a little vague, but work with me here. God gives me new things, and sometimes I have those new things for a while, and other times they're only in my hands for a matter of hours. He takes me on adventures that I could never prepare for, because I had no warning. And then, there are also the times when I have what feels like altogether too much time to prepare for things.

As I read Exodus 16, I saw some things similar to my own life. I think it's hilarious that they called it "manna" because the people didn't know what it was. And so does God give me bread everyday... and so often I respond with, "What is it?" I don't always recognize His providing Hand in my life. Goodness, God must slap his hand over his face and say, "How many times do you have to ask me before you accept something I give you?!"

Then as I kept reading, I found it absolutely stilling that God had His hand upon everyone getting exactly what they needed, as verse 18 says. How beautiful is that... "he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little" They were each perfectly provided for. That is so beautiful. I can just see that as a perfect story of God saying, "Oh no you don't little one," to a child trying to gather his manna for the day and beginning to give up. Just then there would be a pile of exactly what he needed. Like God was saying, "You will not go empty handed My child."

No one had too much, and no one had too little. That's beautiful.

And here we go... another parallel in my own life. When the people tried to keep the manna until the next morning, there were maggots in it. SICK. Man, if I did that once, I would not do it again. That would terrify me. I'd be scared to eat it ever again even when it was fresh and good. Anyway, God gives us many gifts. He gives us new seasons of life, and gives them to us for very specific times. Our God is not a sluggish God who uses an egg timer whenever he feels like it. He is a God of order. He gives specific instructions.

In my life, after I understand and don't have to ask, "what is it?" anymore, sometimes I get really excited for the things God gives me. I get comfortable. I start to try to make good use out of what He's giving me. Just like the Israelites. They were only trying to be proactive. They were only trying to make the best use out of what they were given. Think about it... they tried to save some of what they gathered. It was food! It was good! They didn't have very much. They tried to save. But God told them he would provide everyday. He would give them manna everyday. When they tried to save their manna till the next morning... they were taking matters into their own hands. They weren't trusting. They may have had good intentions, but it was out of lack of trust in the Lord.

Ok... so I do this a lot too. God tells me He will provide for me. He will lead me. He will not forsake me. He will guide me. So when I get really used to His manna in my life, sometimes I take the "what is it" and turn it into my version of, "this is what it is," And I bring it back to God and try to reshape it. I try to save it till morning. But every day His mercies are new. When I try to plan every moment of my life off of living in the midst of ONE season of my life, it's just not gonna work. No dice man, no dice.

And so the Israelites were given some more instructions. They were told to gather manna for the 7th day on the 6th day. The people might have responded to that by saying, "OK Lord, so we can't save our food any other day, but we can today? Real crafty, God, real crafty!" So when the people tried to save the manna for the 7th day, it did not smell, and there were no maggots. If I were them, i'd be afraid to keep it. I would not want those stinking maggots in my bread! I'd probably go out on the 7th day and try to gather my manna just to be on the safe side. But the Israelites who did that found nothing.

Man... when God speaks... He means what He means.

And so my conclusion is this. God gives. And when He gives, He gives with a purpose. And when we don't receive what He gives, we hurt ourselves. When we do, we are blessed. And that is how it is. And I'm pretty sure saying that won't give me maggots. Good night!