"So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord."
Deuteronomy 8:3
How are you when you get hungry?
What is your attitude; mindset; character?
When you are tired and haven't eaten a morsel of food all day?
When you are finally given a meal but it isn't what you had in mind; it wasn't what you were craving; it isn't your 'comfort food' or it may be something you don't even recognize as food?
This is what the Israelites were faced with but on a much larger scale than hunger we might feel. They groaned and complained and begged to go back to their slave homes. They were allowing their hunger to lead them even if it meant going back to Egypt.
God sent manna (bread from heaven) each day to nourish them. They were to eat their fill and not keep any of the leftovers for it would spoil. God wanted them to totally depend on Him everyday for everything they needed and to learn obedience in Him through this.
Their fathers before them sinned, seeking out other gods; building carved images to worship while in the desert, and through that they suffered the consequence by being in the wilderness for forty years and died there before reaching Canaan, the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey (Deut. 26:9).
Jesus referred to today's scripture when He was in the desert and Satan came to tempt Him and told Him to turn the stones into bread. He said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God." (Matt.4:4)
We must be humble (Prov. 11:2). Humility shows our inability and God's ability. We must seek Him and draw close to Him and He will draw close to us (James 4:8).
I want to challenge you to find a time during your day when you can sit quietly, disconnect from the world and read God's Word and pray or just meditate on Him. (His goodness, His grace, His kindness and His love for you.) For just a moment clear your mind of all the things that distract you from spending time with Him and be grateful for all He has done for you. Pray that God will help you find this special time each day.
I was given this advice many years ago when trying to carve out time with the Lord.
"If you truly want to, if it is a priority, then you will make the time."
That goes for anything in life, so why not for a time alone with our Father?
I love you & He loves you more!
Lord, You are the reason we have breath. With that breath I will praise You and You alone. May I always seek You and desire for our time together each morning. Thank You for meeting me there and drawing me close. Amen.