The stories of God’s provision for His people in the wilderness in Exodus teach us a critical lesson as we live the life of faith: that God has provided, God is providing, and God will provide. As the Israelites journeyed through the desert, they encountered moments of deep need—hunger, thirst, and uncertainty. Yet, time and again, God provided for them in miraculous and unexpected ways. These stories serve as an invitation for you and me to do two things as we journey with God in the life of faith.
1. Remember Manna Doesn’t Come in Bulk
Author Elisabeth Elliot once said that one of the hardest things about being a Christian is that “Manna doesn’t come in bulk.” In other words, it was her creative way of saying that God provides what we need, when we need it—not in advance, and not in a way that lets us secure our future apart from Him. The Israelites had to wake up each morning and trust that fresh manna would be there to sustain them for the day, and we are called to do the same. Every day we pray, “Give us our daily bread,” because God promises to give us what we need today.
So, this week, instead of exhausting ourselves with worry about the future—whether it’s our finances, our health, our children, or our jobs—God invites us to shift our focus to what He has already given us today.
Corrie ten Boom, the famous Holocaust survivor, once shared a story about her father teaching her an important lesson about God’s provision. One day, as she was traveling by train with her father and talking about all the things she was worried about, her father asked her, “Corrie, when do I give you the ticket for the train?” She thought for a moment and answered, “Well, right before we get on the train.” Her father smiled and said, “Exactly. And our wise Father in Heaven knows when we’re going to need things, too. Don’t run ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes… you will look into your heart and find the strength you need—just in time.”
It was a reminder that we can’t get an advance on God’s provision. It doesn’t come in bulk because God wants us to trust Him daily. So, this week, whenever you catch yourself spiraling into anxious thoughts about what’s ahead, stop and remind yourself: “God, help me to trust that You will give me exactly what I need today.”
2. See God’s Provision in the Small Things
Sometimes, God provides for us in big, miraculous ways. He parts Red Seas, makes water come from a rock, and drops food from the skies. But more often than not, God’s provision can be found in the small things. The things that are often overlooked: encouragement from a stranger, a beautiful day, a car that doesn’t break down, an easy day at work or with the kids, a timely song that comes on the radio. Sometimes, the way God provides is simply by getting us through another day. Pay attention to how God is providing for you in the small things.
Several years ago, our family went through a season of intense sorrow. I felt crushed, disoriented, and scared. We needed God’s provision in so many ways, and yet, at the time, all we had was empty hands—we desperately needed God to provide for us but had no idea how He would. And if I’m honest, at times I wondered if He would at all.
One day, as I was walking outside, I was listening to the radio, and a song came on that gave me words to pray during that season. The song is titled Red Sea Road by Ellie Holcomb. Here are the lyrics:
How can we trust When You say You will deliver us from All of this pain that threatens to take over us Well, this desert’s dry But the ocean may consume And we’re scared to follow You
So we will sing to our souls We won’t bury our hope Where He leads us to go There’s a Red Sea Road When we can’t see the way He will part the waves And we’ll never walk alone Down a Red Sea Road
The song is a reminder that on the days when you find yourself in a desert or your back is up against the sea and you’re scared if God will provide, that wherever He leads us, He provides a Red Sea Road. And in the meantime, we sing to our souls, we don’t bury our hope, and we remind ourselves that God will give us what we need—even if it’s just a song in the desert.
So, this week, remember that God has provided. God is providing. And today, we can trust that no matter what we face, God will provide.
This post briefly summarizes part of a sermon I recently delivered at Wabash Friends Church. You can watch or listen to the entire sermon here: