Walking with manna
I’ve been thinking alot about manna lately. You know, the stuff the Israelites were given in the wilderness to eat as they walked away from slavery to the promised land - away from the old to the new. I wonder if some of you feel like 2021 is that walking? Learning to walk again, post-COVID. Now, the pandemic is not over and there’s still plenty to be vigilant about. But, June 2021 feels very different than June 2020 regarding case rates, positivity rates, hospitalizations rates, all the rates.
But, does it feel different? Or are you having trouble learning to walk in “normalcy” again when there’s really no more normalcy. We’ve talked about that before - we’ve all been changed in one way or another. How there is a new normal, not simply remaking pre-2020 again and going back to the good ole’ days. There’s a new direction of walking now - away from things that so easily entangled us and towards a new promised land.
And, that in between the what-used-to-be and what-will-be is hard terrain - it might feel like more of a wilderness season. That’s where manna comes in. Manna was the miracle of provision direct from heaven - don’t miss that - direct.from.heaven. Direct from a Savior leading a people out of slavery. It was a miracle. But it tasted like, well, manna. You had to gather it daily. If you hoarded it or tried to control it or tried to store it up and “plan for the future”, it would go rotten. Day by day - gathering the manna - gathering the miracle - that was enough for the day. Enough to sustain them along the journey. Enough for the families. Enough.
That day-by-day gathering of “enoughness” for Americans is hard. We are used to planning and storing and hoarding (even if we don’t mean to). And, don’t get me wrong. It’s fine to plan and be responsible - there’s wisdom in that. But, in wilderness seasons like 2021 of learning to walk again, I think God might be teaching us something more.
Day by day manna is better than rich food in slavery.
Remember when the Israelites grumbled in the wilderness?
“I remember when we used to have good food - rich food - cucumbers, melons, garlic, onions, and meat. Now all we have is this manna.” - Numbers 11:5
I think that’s where they ran into problems. They missed the miracle of the manna that appeared every single morning like the dew for the day. Yes, it was probably frustrating to have to gather every day. That’s a bit boring and monotonous. But, there’s a daily miracle to behold each and every morning. If we don’t miss it.
So, I’m thinking of that as we re-emerge back to society in small ways. Is it hard for you to re-emerge back? If so, take heart, friends. There’s daily manna that is enough for each day. New mercies every morning.
Let’s lean into the day-by-day provision of miracle-enoughness as we re-emerge. Letting go of the grumbling of what used to be (remember, that was rich food in slavery) and walking towards the promises of milk and honey. It will be there.
We just might have to learn the miracle of manna in the wilderness before we get there. And, be thankful for it. And, see it for what it is. A miracle of daily provision, enoughness, sustenance, love.
-FNE
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