Exodus 16: 14 – 15 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.”

Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt as God commanded him. They used to be slaves in Egypt. That lifestyle is behind them but they had not yet reached the promised destination in Canaan. They are now in a desert place, interestingly named the Desert of Sin. The problem they faced there was hunger. They began to compare their new life with the old, pining after the food they had in Egypt:  “We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost – also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.” (Numbers 11:5) Seriously! But you were slaves there, remember!

Their lives had changed, that was true. But God had taken care of them all the way and had showed his might in delivering them from the enemy. All of that is somehow quickly forgotten and they began to grumble and complain. And God heard them! “The Lord said to Moses, I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them: ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’” (Exodus 16:11). God demonstrated his power and mercy once again and provided quail for dinner and manna for breakfast, not just for that day but far into their future. Nowhere do I read that they gave thanks for it. In fact the time would come when they were tired of that too.

Has life changed for you? Are you worse off now than you used to be? Is your assessment of the situation correct? Only you know that. Have you been grumbling and complaining? It is so easy to do that and we are all guilty at some point. It is clear from this account that God is not pleased when we grumble and complain. So, let’s start over with God. Confess. Ask for his help with the situation. Maybe you don’t need all the stuff that used to clutter your life, but acknowledge that he is able to provide for your needs. Focus on him as the great God that he is – Maybe all he wants is for  you to acknowledge him as “the Lord your God.” The Holy Spirit is quick to affirm:

“Always it is my desire that my children acknowledge me in this way. My love is toward them all the time. I will provide and I will seek their good. I need only that they trust me with their very lives. I am a good God and my resources are not limited in any way.”