It seemed like a simple enough recipe to follow. Fill a container with one ingredient you collect each morning, bake it, and you’ll have bread to eat. But here’s where it became tricky. Each morning you could only gather what you needed, and you were not allowed to save any leftovers. It’s a recipe God uses to see if we can be content with only what we need each day.
In Exodus 16 the Israelites have left Egypt and have been traveling for many days. They are tired and hungry, grumbling about how good things were back in Egypt (16:3). “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction (4).’” They could only gather what they needed each day. “However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them (20, NIV).”
Isn’t that like us? God provides only what we need each day, but we start worrying about tomorrow. Will God show up again and provide for my needs? We try to cling to what we have today, wanting to save some of what we can tangibly see and grasp, in case God doesn’t show up tomorrow to provide for us. Yet when we find we can’t let go, when we can’t approach God with open hands, when we hold on to yesterday, we can’t take hold of what God has for us today. We’re left holding yesterday’s leftovers and they can begin to smell of discontent.
God didn’t just provide for their needs. He wanted to test them to see how well they would follow His way. Today God is testing you. Can you be content with what God is giving you today, giving you only what you need for today?
It is like the parable Jesus told in Luke 19, “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities (17).’” If we trust God in the little things, it lays the foundation for bigger things.
Having faith in God and His ways, His path for your life, requires trust in what can’t always be seen or held. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, NASB).” It requires us to be content with what God has given us today. As Paul wrote, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am (Philippians 4:11, NASB).”
Life is constantly changing, throwing new challenges in front of us each day. Sometimes these challenges are a training ground to see how much faith we have in God to follow His instructions in His word. We can feel like we are in the wilderness, lacking many things, but God is leading you to a new thing that requires trust in him.
© 2023, Chris G. Thelen
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:18 (NIV)
And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed. Exodus 16:18 (NASB)
140 Character Christian 
Oh, what an unforgettable image of holding on to things too long and then finding that they smell terrible and have worms! Great lesson Chris!
It’s hard to be content in this country where advertising and social media bombard us with messages telling us we need this or that product or experience to have a full life. It takes constant effort to be satisfied with our daily bread. I thank God every day for His lavish provision.
Thanks for the comment. It is a daily walk to keep our eyes focused on God and His provision—to be content. Blessings.
THIS is good stuff. I’m just so sorry that I am so bad at doing it. Maybe today, huh?
Amen! Each day God reminds us to live with patient contentment with His daily bread.
Patient contentment is a good way to start the day. Thanks for sharing that. Blessings.