REMEMBERING GOD'S BLESSINGS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey.

Moses said, "This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.'"

So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put an omer of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be kept for the generations to come."

As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna in front of the Testimony, that it might be kept. The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.

(An omer is one-tenth of an ephah.)

Exodus 16:31-36

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we saw in yesterday’s message, God had commanded the Israelite people to rest on the Sabbath day, the only day of the week that they would not be able to collect the daily bread that the Lord provided to keep them Israel fed as they traveled through the desert. Scripture tells us they called this bread “manna” and we read where they would eat it for "forty years” which was the time it would take before they finally “reached the border of Canaan."

What did the manna taste like?

We find the answer in our passage for today, learning it “was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey”.

We also learn that God didn’t want His people to ever forget this miraculous act of provision as we see Him giving Moses the following command at the end of Exodus, chapter 16:

"This is what the Lord has commanded: 'Take an omer (approximately two quarts) of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.'"

And so Aaron, by Moses’ request, puts an omer of manna (approximately four dry cups) in a jar and this was to be maintained until the Lord gave His ten commandments on the two stone tablets, special orders that would be known as the "Testimony".

As we look at our passage for today, there are two very important points I want to illuminate, points that were important to the people of Israel then and are equally important for us today.

First, God wants us to never forget His goodness and providence.

Ask yourself this.

Why did He command for some manna to be collected and saved for generations to come?

It was because He didn’t want His mighty, miraculous works to be forgotten, not in the present nor in the future.

For when this Exodus generation would become older, they would surely tell the new generation all about what the Lord had done for them, how He had sent this unique food called manna. And if they doubted what they heard, the jar of manna would dispel that doubt as they looked upon physical evidence that supported the Lord’s mighty act of mercy and deliverance.

You know, we also go through life circumstances where we experience God’s goodness fully at work, experience that can turn into testimonies we can share with future generations. Like the Israelites, we should be ready to share all that God has done for us with others.

The second thing we find here is that the Lord wants us to testify about Him, to share accounts of how He has helped us in times of need. You see, God isn’t glorified before others when we remain silent and keep the stories of His provision and protection to ourselves. Rather, He expects us to tell others about Him so they know how He is always at work to bless those who place their hope and trust in Him. I don’t know about you but I am consistently inspired by the testimonies of others as they tell of what God has done for them. It’s no wonder why God expects us to proclaim His works to others.

Do you have a testimony to share about what the Lord has done for you?

Never hesitate to let others hear it and you may also want to consider writing your testimonies down so that they can be passed down to future generations. Through your words, you may be able to help lead others to a life that is centered and focused on the Lord, the One who is their Provider and Redeemer.

Keep in mind that God richly blesses us to not only address our needs within our circumstances and remind us of His power and provision, but He also produces a good news story with every one of His works, good news stories designed to be shared.

In any and all opportunities, let’s make sure we tell of all the great deeds the Lord has done in our lives, bringing Him full honor, glory, and praise.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.