Enough Light

The Israelites weren’t happy at this stage of their journey through the desert. Things hadn’t exactly worked out as they’d expected, and they weren’t in a comfortable place. They had no homes, no idea of where they were heading every day, and families to feed and emotions to deal with. What was supposed to have been a very short journey to the Promised Land changed into forty years of hardship, whilst enduring extreme circumstances.

The Lord heard their cries and promised to give them enough food for every day: meat every evening and bread every morning. The instruction that came with this provision was that they were only allowed to gather enough food for that day; with the exception of the sixth day when they could gather enough for two days since the next day was the Sabbath Day. Whenever they disobeyed and tried to gather more that they needed for the day, it was bad and full of worms by the next morning. If we read today’s verse again, we notice that the Lord wanted to discipline them to obey His laws. God provided for His people every day. Even their sandals and clothing never became worn during that time. All they had to do was to trust Him in each and every detail of their lives. He knew that if they learnt to obey and trust Him no matter what, they would learn to know Him as a God of love.

Many of us get hit by unexpected circumstances which are difficult to cope with. We panic, we make plans, we ask questions, we became anxious and it seems our dreams are shattered. Nothing seems sure anymore and we’re unable to handle the situation with our human resources and normal coping mechanisms. It could be a critical illness, emotional trauma, financial turmoil or any situation that jerks us off our feet.

Times like these lead us to grab on to the Lord with all we have and beg Him to help us, to save us. Slowly but surely the Lord gently leads us back to His safe pastures: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take’ (Proverbs 3:5-6). It’s difficult! How do we get it right? How do we look away from the pending disaster and not lean on our own understanding?

In situations like these I’ve learn that it’s a discipline. We must choose to focus on the Lord and not on the overwhelming circumstances. As a dear friend of mine said “the Lord will give you enough light for the step you’re on”. Just as the Israelites had to learn the discipline of trusting the Lord for daily provision, so do we. And even though we don’t know the outcome of our situations, we do know that we can trust the Lord to walk with us - every step of the way.

When a crisis hits, you need the Lord more than you realise. Learn to know Him as a God of love, security and strength.

Prayer: Lord, I come before You today as my Father in Heaven. I don’t know the way ahead and I don’t know how long this journey will last. All I know is that You promise all things will work together for the good of those who trust You. I praise Your name and honour You as my Rock and my Safety. Amen.