Manna in the desert

"Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 8:2-3)

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is addressing the Israelites at the end of forty long years of wandering in the desert. He's reminding them of everything God commanded and has done for them; but above all, he tells them to never forget the Lord and to remain loyal to Him.

Moses reminds the Israelites that they were starving at the beginning of the forty years in the desert, but God provided for them by making manna, a type of bread, fall from the sky every day. God did this in order to test their hearts and see if the Israelites would remain loyal to Him in any circumstance. Moses also says that God did this to teach them "that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." In other words, God made the Israelites starve to show them that they couldn't survive on their own; then He fed them manna to show that He was the only provision they needed. God used the manna in the desert to show the Iraelites that they needed Him. He taught them to depend on Him more than on food and water, because the Lord is more necessary in our lives than even the basic things that our bodies need to live.

Verse five says, "Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you." What about you? How has God disciplined you? Every person has their own personal desert, something in their life that is too difficult for them to overcome in their own strength. Everyone has something in their life that causes them to need God.

God wants to use the desert to increase your love for and dependency on Him. He wants to provide for you in the desert to show you His love and faithfulness, and to ensure that you will never forget Him. The question is, do you trust God enough to wait for Him to provide you with manna? Or are you like the Israelites- are you complaining, undermining your leadership, and trying to provide for yourself?