Short-sighted
Exodus 16 at church tonight. and John 6. God had just delivered the Israelites from Egypt. They had just been rescued by the Lord but they still asked if God would sustain them and take care of them. When God told them what to do (take all of the manna they needed for one day, no extra), He was testing them. And they disobeyed. Why? They wanted to do things their way, because they were enslaved to their desire for comfort, and they were not able to live out their covenential relationship with the Lord. I, like the Israelites, crave security rather than the One who holds me securely.
In John 6, Jesus had just fed the 5,000. The people just wanted Jesus because they wanted Him to give them more food. But Jesus knew what they really needed. The Bread of Life. I liked this quote from pastor Johnathan Holmes,
“They did not see that God was putting them in a situation that they did not want, to produce a change in them that they could not produce on their own.”
God has a plan for me. And sometimes it is going to be hard. Sometimes I will “wander in the desert for 40 years” but He will provide for me every day, and I need to trust Him and follow His plan, not pursue comfort. Because He is holding me securely and providing for me. So I might have to take a step of faith by being different among non-believers, give up my precious time after work to spend time with the Lord or do something for someone else. I might feel lonely in this new place, without any close friends; I might be overwhelmed by learning things at work, but He has me at this place for a reason - to sanctify me, to test me, to teach me, to bring glory to Himself through me. Please Lord help me to trust You and not be short-sighted.
