When we read Exodus 16 and 17, when the children of Israel continually grumbled against the Lord after He brought them out of Egypt we tend to think: "What's wrong with these people, why can't they see that God is taking care of them?"
When the people needed rescue from a tyrant, God brought them out with the strong hand. When they needed water in a dry place, He brought it forth from a rock. When they needed sustenance He gave them manna, and when they needed military victory over their enemies He gave them the ability to win supernaturally.
Yet it seemed that just as one victory or blessing passed, they grumbled again at the next trial. I personally think we are a lot more like Israel than we'd like to admit. When something goes wrong and we cry out to God and He answers we are grateful, but only until the next trial comes and then we say "God you must not love me."
So what is going on? I think it is the difference of short term experience vs long term reliance. Israel's problem was that they couldn't see around the next bend and so were afraid. God had come through but they didn't put the pieces together that God loved them not just today but always and would care for them today and always.
We see today's trial and panic. God sees the long term care and sometimes allows short term trials in order to build long term reliance on Him. Try to picture your life, not like today's crisis, but like reading through the book of Exodus, seeing the episodes build up in your life where God comes through for His glory and your benefit over and over. Build that long term trust over short term satisfaction.
Pastor Tom
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1 comment:
Great article Tom. We really do need to learn to see the invisible (II Corinthians 4:17-18). That's how Moses made it, "...for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27).
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