Exodus 16 Archives - Marissa Henley

One thing I love about the Lord is that we can always rely on Him to give us exactly what we need to endure any circumstance. When I had cancer, He showered me with His grace like never before, always giving me the grace and peace required by my exceptionally painful and difficult circumstances. I started calling this provision “cancer manna.”

Just like the manna that God sent to the Israelites in the wilderness (see Exodus 16), cancer manna–or challenging-child manna or difficult-marriage manna or *insert-trial-here* manna–is just what you need for that day. No more. No less. It doesn’t make your circumstances less painful–just as I’m sure that wilderness was hot and tiring and seemed to never end. But God’s perfect manna sustains you and meets your every need as you walk through your personal wilderness.

I have been cancer-free since July 20, 2011. I praise God daily for this physical healing. But the spiritual and emotional challenges that come with cancer survivorship and the possibility of recurrence can be overwhelming. My quarterly trips to Houston for check-ups are especially anxiety-inducing. And once again, that time is quickly approaching.

I’ve realized that these pre-check-up weeks are so difficult because in my mind, I have cancer. I’m imagining the words coming out the doctor’s mouth, trying to figure out what we would do and how it would all work out . . . wow, it is really stressful to have imaginary cancer! I need some of that cancer manna from before . . . oh, wait . . . God isn’t giving me cancer manna. Because the truth is: 1. I don’t have cancer. 2. Living as though you have cancer when you’re not receiving the Lord’s cancer manna is stressful and exhausting. And 3. if someday I have cancer again, the Lord will immediately pour out that cancer manna and meet each and every one of our needs. He is good, and He is faithful. He knows the exact date and time when I will need cancer manna again (if ever). And in the meantime, He is giving the perfect manna for my daily situations . . . not the hypotheticals, not other people’s problems I’m trying to solve, but the work He has given to ME for TODAY.

God is good, and He is faithful in all things.

John 6:48-51 (Jesus speaking):

“I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

I am so thankful to be studying the Life of Moses with Bible Study Fellowship this year. Now that I’ve reached the glorious second trimester, I hope to do more writing about what I’ve learned. I had been determined not to complain about not feeling well or being tired during this pregnancy, and I have to admit, I’ve done a terrible job.

I felt especially convicted about this and all the other complaining I do when reading about the grumbling the Israelites did after being brought out of slavery in Egypt. God had just rescued them from horrible oppression and slavery. He had done mighty works and miracles on their behalf, such as parting an entire sea so they could escape on dry land. Then they find themselves in the wilderness, their food begins to run out, and they start to grumble. In the chapters of Exodus that follow the crossing of the Red Sea, the Israelites complain to Moses over and over again.

In Exodus 16:8, Moses answers their grumbling: And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.”

Ouch. All my grumbling isn’t against the weather, my kids, my hubby’s job, my circumstances, money, etc., but against the God who made me and redeemed me?? Of course! For God has given me each and every circumstance: each evening my husband is delayed at work to teach me reliance on Him, each tantrum of my 2-year-old sent to teach me patience, restrictions on my spending to teach me contentment, cold weather . . . well, I haven’t figured out what that is about, but God is most definitely in control of the weather!

I know contentment is important to God, but this verse shed new light on all the “small” complaining I do each day. It showed me how much I am like the Israelites–God has done amazing things for me, and I still grumble against Him. He has given me a beautiful home, and I grumble about cleaning it. He has given my husband a secure, profitable job, and I grumble that he’s not home at 5:00 each day. He has given me two beautiful, sweet, healthy kids, and I grumble that they just won’t give me a minute to myself. My grumbling is a sin against God, and I’m thankful for this verse pointing that out in a fresh way.

Manna

Grumbling