FROM MOANING TO MANNA - what to expect next (a now word 😉)

This morning, God has given me great news for His people. Indeed, to those who put their trust in God and His Word, the Heavens are about to open up in supernatural provision!

***

After a confinement period that was initially characterized by much hope, positivity, altruistic actions and UNITY, I have noticed, over the past week or so, how reports of people becoming negative are rising. They complain about the government, about rules, about people not receiving recognition for generosity, etc, etc... a number of things that could be justified (for them) as legitimate, but with attitudes lacking perspective. The right word for this is grumbling...😬

I mentioned this to God, wondering about what was going on exactly. Then, yesterday, I woke up tearful, and, perceiving that it was a spiritual emotion, asked Jesus to show me what was on His heart?

Last night He suddenly said: “the Israelites, too, were grumbling at this stage of their journey...”

I thought about His great works as He delivered them from Egypt, and that they still couldn’t seem to grasp that He, Who had made a road through the Red Sea, could provide in all of their needs? They lacked consistent faith because they didn’t know His character, because they were not walking in relationship with Him.

So this morning I started to read about the Israelite’s journey from Egypt to Mount Sinai, and I was amazed... I saw an outline of the spiritual atmosphere that I have perceived over our country (if not over the whole international christian community) over the past weeks...

The atmosphere went from fearful, yet clinging to God (passover), to a spiritual climax (Red Sea crossing), to an all time low (bitter water at Marah), to yet another spiritual high and some time of spiritual rest (encampment at Elim), to where we are now.

People are suddenly grumbling intensively, just like the Israelites were when they were about to enter the Wilderness of Sin. This announced for them, as it is announcing for us, a new season of total reliance on God as their/our Provider.

What’s more, is that it is happening for us on EXACTLY the same date on the Hebrew calendar than it did for the Israelites. Yes, today 9 May 2020 is 15 Iyyar on the Hebrew calendar, the day that the Bible mentions in Ex 16:1, the day that Israel entered the Wilderness of Sin. Interestingly, the word Sin means moon, and right now a full super-moon is hanging over the earth.

I just need to mark a pause here...

I’m so moved by the way that Father talks to us according to His timeline! He gave me this message of Hope (you still need to get to that part 😉) on the very day that coincides with the Israelite’s journey! Since I don’t follow the Hebrew calendar, He had to bring it to my attention this morning after He had spoken to me. And He did it so that we may understand that He is giving us a blueprint to work with, a plan to follow in this challenging time lying ahead.

Yesterday, when I woke up so emotional (and I wasn’t the only one who perceived this) He was sharing with us His sadness because of the lack of faith of His people. We are living in the most amazing days any believer has ever lived in (excepting those who walked with Jesus 😌), yet we manage to see only doom and gloom. We share only bad reports. We fear. We grumble...!

EXODUS 16:2-3 MESSAGE BIBLE : The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. The Israelites said, “Why didn’t God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You’ve brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!”

***

So what is the good news?

Beloved of God! He will do for you what He has done for Israel as they were entering the Wilderness of Sin:

EXODUS 16:11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling(R) of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’”(S)

The Lord God Himself will sustain you and be your Provider in this time. A supernatural provision, make no mistake.

To the extent that you will trust Him, the provision will be greater, because the choice to trust Him opens the door of provision.

And to make it even more simple for you, He has given you a blueprint of what you can do in order to enjoy the fullness of the blessing, which I am going to explain to you.

Just a quick pause again to explain something. We are going to look at 2 levels of provision.

• on a physical level, everyone that is a believer can benefit from the physical provision that He wants to provide, because in Exodus 16 He gave Mannah to the whole nation, EVEN to those who grumbled and who would seek to create dissensions among the people later on. This physical provision does not imply that someone is in a good place with God, only that they are under the Blood (there are people that believe in God that are not walking with God)

• On a spiritual level, those who will benefit of His supernatural spiritual provision are those who are walking with God and who seek Him above all else (the Bride...)

• 
  

Now let’s look at the blueprint from both perspectives:

EXODUS 16:21 Each morning everyone gathered as much (mannah) as they needed...

• PHYSICAL: just like His mercies, His provision will be new every morning. No living on the scraps of yesterday. He will take care of your every need.

• SPIRITUAL: You are going to need to spend time with God on a daily basis, and according to your need. Some of us need understanding and will have to get into His Word more. Others need perspective and the best way to obtain that is by worshipping Him more. Some may need the ministry of music - so soak in His Presence with good worship music. Those who need rest can meditate with Him. Those who need exercise can go walk or run or cycle with Him 😜

EXODUS 16:17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 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.(Z) Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

• PHYSICAL: No matter how much energy you use for work in this season, you wont receive more than you need, but you won’t get less either. So prioritize. Don’t do burn-out. Live a balanced life - you WILL have enough

• SPIRITUAL: it won’t be about the number of hours you spend with Him but about the quality and sincerity of your obedience. Whatever spiritual need you have He will answer.

EXODUS 16: 19 Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”(AA) 20 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.

• PHYSICAL: sharing and caring is the theme of the season. Don’t hoard, help out. If you take more than your due in this season it will become a curse to you instead of a blessing

• SPIRITUAL : you can’t live on yesterday’s encounter with God. Every day is a new day that needs a new encounter.

EXODUS 16: 19 26 Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath,(AG) there will not be any.” 27 Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none....30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

• PHYSICAL: we have been created to function well if we respect the rhythm that we have been programmed for: 6 days work and worship, 1 day rest. God wants you to have a whole day to ONLY take care of YOU and YOUR FAMILY. If it can be a Saturday, great, because that is the day that God has set apart. But the Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath, according to Jesus. So if you have to work on a Saturday, then pick another day as your day of rest, but see to it that you have that day in your week!

• SPIRITUAL: The time of getting a quick spiritual fix on Sundays is OVER. We are given a chance to re-establish the age-old principle of 6days-and-a-Sabbath-rest, but with it comes a new rhythm: know God 24/7 and worship Him 24/7. Then, if you do that, your rest on the Sabbath will be sweet!

In conclusion:

This will be a season of survival to some, and a season of heavenly bliss for others. The choice is absolutely your own. Only YOU can determine your own focus. Only YOU can choose whether you will live by faith or by sight. Remember that a whole nation left Egypt but not all entered the promised land because of one element : the choice to trust and obey.

I pray that you will be blessed beyond words in this season!