Strange Provision

One Year Bible
Old Testament passage for Saturday, February 2, 2013:  Exodus 15:19-17:7

¹⁴ When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor. ¹⁵ When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.  Exodus 16:14-15 (NIV)

Isn't it amazing the way God provides for us.  It is truly a display of His matchless power and wisdom.  Here's how it works.  

First, He ALLOWS the need to develop in the first place.  He could prevent it.  In principle, God could prevent us ever even having to pray for His provision.  But, He delights in delaying His intervention until the right moment.  The same God who meets our needs has allowed our needs to develop in the first place.

Next, we come to a place of DESPERATION and we CRY OUT to Him.  Miracles of provision come out of the "midnight cry".  Yes, I know that God can and does answer our casual daily calls.  But, it is the crisis call that breaks open the heavens.

Lastly, God SENDS His provision in His own way.  The stories of how He supplied for the children of Israel illustrate this perfectly.  When they first found bitter water and cried out, He sweetened those waters with ... a tree!  When later they were thirsty again, He brought water from ... a rock!  There is no human logic to His responses.  The bread that He gave came like frost flakes from the morning dew.  Appropriately, Israel called this supply MANNA, which means "what is it?"

God desires to meet each of us at the point of our greatest need.  It is important for us to learn that He will ALLOW us to suffer need.  In fact, He might even concoct a plan to lead us to the point of desperation in which we CRY OUT to Him.  This is all actually good news even though at the moment it might seem strange.  We then must prepare ourselves for STRANGE PROVISION.  It might come packaged differently than we expect.  But, it will come.  

God is leading to us to higher levels of faith -- higher levels of trust -- greater experiences of His miraculous intervention.  When we understand the way He leads us, we are better able to cooperate with Him in this great adventure.  You might not know what is coming next, but you will know Who is leading the way.