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Living Life Daily

Words of Faith Final

Living Life Daily
Words of Faith 11-22-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 16
[4] Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. [5] On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
[6] So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, [7] and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?" [8] Moses also said, "You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord."
[9] Then Moses told Aaron, "Say to the entire Israelite community, 'Come before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.' "

The Israelites had begun grumbling, not because they were out of food or because their reserves were getting low. It was a matter of trust-- complete dependence upon God. This would continue to be the primary issue in the desert.
It may appear at first glance that the Israelites were rewarded for their grumbling. In fact, the provision of manna and meat was a time of testing. The purpose of the manna was to "test them." This was part of their instruction.
The Lord could have provided for the Israelites in any number of ways. He might have given them provisions once a month delivered by camel caravan. Instead, the Lord chose very specifically to see whether they would follow instructions.
The Israelites were to gather the manna daily except on the sixth day when they would gather enough provision for the Sabbath. The Lord was teaching a lesson about trust. By not gathering more than they needed for the day, they trusted that the Lord would provide on the next day. By not gathering on the seventh day, they were learning that God's provision in six days was enough for seven.
The text says that they would see the glory of the Lord in the morning through this provision. Later, the Israelites will be called to obey the Lord in returning a tithe-- ten percent of their crops and harvest. The same principle will apply.
The point of this passage is not that we should live hand-to-mouth. But we do see that the glory of the Lord is discovered in our daily recognition and dependence upon Him. Other parts of the Bible teach the wisdom of saving and investing, but we should never cease to trust in the Lord for our daily provision. The big lesson for us is to listen, trust and obey.
The truth is that where we live, we have not been given the direction to gather manna daily from the ground, but we have been directed in many other ways. The Lord impresses this on us as we journey with Him. Jesus said we should not neglect the tithe (Matthew 23:23). We are called to lift our anxieties to the Lord in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7). We are called not to neglect the gathering of believers (Hebrews 10:25). We are exhorted not to conform to the world but to be transformed by the renewing our minds (Romans 12:1-2). The question is, as the Lord impresses his ways upon us-- Will we trust and obey?
Are you trusting the Lord daily? Even if the provision God has given is beyond your needs, are you dependent upon the Lord day-to-day? Is there a directive the Lord has impressed upon you that you need to trust to Him and obey?

Lord, thank You for Your careful watch over me. Thank You for providing my needs day to day. I give thanks to You. Show me the careful walk of dependence. Show me Your glory. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.