God Is Our Ultimate Daily Provider

"Then the Lord said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not." (Ex 16:4)

"Let every man gather it according to each one's need" (Ex 16:16)

There is mindset of trust that the Lord wanted to develop in the Israelites. One of the primary ways in which we trust, in which all beings on the earth trust in God is in daily provision. The people had slavemasters in Egypt and they had gotten used to relying upon their slavemasters for their provision and they complained to Moses that they should have just been left in Egypt where they had tons of food to eat (they had quickly idealized their past enslavers).

The Lord did provide for the people supernaturally, but He also wanted to develop a new paradigm. Not to rely upon a hand-out from other people, but to instead trust solely on the Lord to survive. Part of this commandment was to take what was needed instead of trying to hoard everything that was out there -- knowing that God will provide.

When the people defied the commandment of God, the extra food they gathered did not last the next day.

Two things strike me in these verses:

1) Obedience is key. There is a specific way that God wants us to do things. It can vary from task to task, but only where it doesn't conflict with His overall commandments to do good and not evil (as defined in the Bible). He will sometimes give us a task that should be completed in a certain way.

During the time of Joseph in Egypt, food was gathered and stored during a time of plenty in order to survive an impending drought. However, for the Israelites in the desert, they were to only gather on a daily basis as God would bring more manna the next day.

2) Excessive riches aren't to be a primary goal for us. God is our security, not money or possessions. We wonder why God doesn't pour riches upon his people - it's because it is a false security that will not bring discipline or a closer relationship with the Lord. In fact, in most cases during times of plenty, we will choose to rely upon the money more than we rely on the Lord, which effectively negates the ways that He can use us. We will be more afraid of losing our incomes and posssessions than following the Lord.

Taking it a step further looking at our attitudes in society - we need to be gathers and workers. Everyday we should be doing the work that God has placed before us to provide for our families. However, there is a moral component to not hoarding and not being greedy. Those who are ultra talented can find ways to take more goods or funds from society in legal, but not necessarily ethical ways. Such activities can cause an imbalance in the system which can ultimately destroy the smooth operation of the whole (see tech bubble, real estate bubble, bank crisis). Being ethical on a moral level is imperative in a free society because it ensures that there is both liberty for individual pursuit as well as room for everyone to gather what they need (but they should not be given hand-outs). The penalty for unethical greed will be, ultimately, eternity in hell.

On a personal level, God has seen fit to gift my family with provision. We are not rich by any US standards, but we have enough to live comfortably while watching our budget. We have dreams of having more children and buying a house with a yard. Modest dreams, but expensive and costly just the same.

The Lord has given us a peace in our hearts that we will indeed realize these dreams one day, but we cannot rush the Lord's timing or the way in which He would like to develop us before granting that vision. The realization of the vision is hardly the end all and be all of our lives. There is no point at which we have "made it". The finish line is not what we have, but rather it is the journey - can we live each moment, each day in submission, service and worship of who He is and what He has called us to be? That is the real quest, the real question.

Getting the things like a house and home are only steps in the path the Lord has laid before us. My real yearning, the real thing I want to accomplish to be like Paul when he was faced with his impending execution for being a Christian and preaching the gospel:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Tim 4:7-8)

Lord Jesus, thank You for reminding me today that You are my ultimate provider. Not employment or a company -- those are simply vehicles. Each day, let us praise You for Your provision and rest when we are struggling to pay the bills. When times are tough, we are given the chance to build our character and our faith. Thank You Lord for all that You are doing in our lives everyday. We don't deserve the blessings, consideration and love You have showered on us. Truly it is blessing. In Jesus' name, AMEN.

God has a way of teaching us what we need...

"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age. Also he made him a tunic of many colors. but when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not speak peaceably to him." (Genesis 37:3-4)

The story of Joseph is one of the most well-known stories in the Bible. Out of jealousy, his brothers kidnap and sell him as a slave to a band of traders headed to Egypt. He is put into the service of an Egyptian prison warden, accused of coming on to the warden's wife, sent into prison, released because of his gift to interpret dreams, used to save Egypt, given a leadership position in Egypt, and then used ultimately to save his family from famine.

It is surely a story of great triumph, but it all starts with the spoiling of a young child by his father, and the jealousy that it incites in his brothers. The scripture paints a picture of a bratty child, one who was accustomed to getting his way, but the Lord knows that character is developed through trials, and not through a life of ease.

One takeaway from the story is in the area of parenting - where it is clearly disruptive for parents to play favorites. I only have one child now, but my sincere hope is to love and handle each child equally - reflecting the equal love that our own God has for all of his children.

The second takeaway for me revolves around the way that the Lord builds our characters. Joseph in his bratty state and favored existence as Jacob's son was clearly ill prepared to take on a position of leadership in saving the family of Israel in the future. As such, there was a hard road ahead for him.

God surely knew the potential that existed in Joseph to become a leader in a powerful country like Egypt, but it needed to be molded and formed. I can only imagine the kinds of hardships and difficulties that Joseph faced, but they were key to the development of a deep seated maturity that was needed for the future.

This is a real encouragement for me because I lived a sheltered and pampered existence growing up and I think it ultimately served to my detriment rather than to help me through life. As an adult, I have been blessed by the Lord in many ways, but things have not come easily or smoothly. There have been many periods of trial each step of the way, but they have also served to deepen my maturity and character. I would not change a thing that I have gone through.

And so it is with the current trials that we are in. They are shaping my wife and myself in such a way that we can become wiser and more mature to do the work that the Lord has arranged for us in the future. Romans 8:28 confirms this: "For we know that in all things God works for the good for those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose."

This message also matches the sensing that I've been receiving from the Lord. That this is simply the beginning and that there are bigger things awaiting in the future. What I've realized however, is that God's concept of "big" and man's concept are two different things. As Jesus said:

"The Kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors'. But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves." (Luke 22:25-26)

Yes, I do aspire to better days financially and to have a means to provide for my family to live comfortably, but I want to be a man of deep character and integrity to use whatever I am given wisely. And in doing so, I hope to raise a Godly generation who can do even more for the kingdom of God.

Lord Jesus, thank you for this word today and for the greater assurance of Your sovereignty amidst trials and strife. Everything has its place and purpose - and I do not know mine yet in full, but I know that I simply need to follow and everything will be unveiled in time. Just as Joseph was taken from a brat to a savior for his family, so too I know that I am on a journey of growth and maturity towards an ultimate goal. Help me to walk with You every step of the way humbling myself before Your throne. In Jesus' name, AMEN.